Moonlight: Darkest of Days
by Goodfella73
Summary: In the conclusion to the "Moonlight" trilogy, Beth races against time to find her Mick before war breaks out between vampires and the Innocents of Los Angeles.
1. Chapter start

**Darkest of Days**

 **By Goodfella73**

 _ **Dramatis Personae**_

 **The Vampires**

Mick St. John

Josef Kostan

Coraline Duvall

Logan Griffin

Guillermo Gasol

Marcus Daggett

Magnus McClane

Malcolm Rehnquist

 **The Humans**

Beth Turner

Simone Walker

Carl Davis

Sarah Whitley

Harper Ryan

Alexandra Sanders

Hayley Simms

Allison Lindsey

Xavier King

 _ **All original "Moonlight" characters are the property of Trevor Munson, Ron Koslow, and CBS Studios. Any and all characters created within this medium and other works are the property of this author and are not to be used in any other literary work without the expressed consent of this author. For entertainment purpose only.**_


	2. Chapter 1

_Prologue_

Josef Kostan could scarcely believe his eyes at the sight before him.

"Sarah?"

She gave him a bewildered look before glancing around the office again. She almost tripped over her own feet before catching the back of one of the chairs stationed in front of the desk. She shook her head as if to regain focus and her eyes locked onto Josef, who conveyed back what he hoped was a welcoming smile.

The woman tried to speak, but could not form her words. She took one tentative step after another until she stood directly in front of Josef. Her hands reached up and lightly brushed his face with just her fingertips, as if recording every contour. His eyes closed as he savored her touch.

"Sarah," he whispered, reaching up for her hands and bringing them close to his chest. "How … how did this happening? How are you ... _awake_?"

Sarah exhaled audibly and gently pulled out of his grasp. Josef released her and watched as she slowly circled behind the desk. "I … I was at your house. In New York. Found myself in your bedroom. At least, it was the same room we always slept in. But it was … different. The furniture. The paint. It was all different."

She turned and sat in the castered chair behind the desk, laying her hands flat on its surface as she whispered, "I … I had lines of fluid running into my veins. Equipment I've never seen before situated around the bed. All manner of things I've never seen or heard of before. Strange people I've never seen before."

"And then I found that not only did I lose sixty years of my life, but you decided to leave me and move to California. You're … someone else now. And … the man who helped me, I told him that I owed him because somehow he was able to wake me, but - "

Josef leaned over the desk. "Sarah, words cannot describe how sorry I am, but I felt the same today as I did all those years ago. You don't know what I went through trying to wake you! I had the finest doctors come in from all around the world and examine you for months! They did everything they could! _I_ did everything I could!"

He walked around the desk and knelt by her side. "There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think about you, Sarah. You have to believe that. But you have to tell me this. Was it Malcolm Rehnquist? Did he do this?"

Sarah turned to look down into his face. She started to answer but instead stretched her hand haltingly for it again. The motion was interrupted first by the sound of a door slamming next door, followed by women arguing. "I can't believe he's here, Simone. Not after what he did to Mick," one voice exclaimed.

"Beth! Please calm down," another voice pleaded. "I understand you're mad at Josef, but he was only doing what he felt was necessary."

Both voices seemed to grow closer. Indeed, as their owners appeared out of the passageway separating the office from the quarters next door; Beth Turner and Simone Walker. They came to a stop at the sight before them.

Beth spoke first. The angry expression on her face gave way to evident surprise as she recognized Sarah. "Josef … what - how …?"

Simone took a cautious step forward, directing her attention to Josef. "Who is she, and what is she doing here?"

Josef rose and held up a hand to forestall further questioning. "Beth already met her, but you haven't had the honor, Simone. This is Sarah Whitley."

Beth still stood stunned to silence, but Simone gave Josef a perplexed look. "Sarah Whitley? The woman you said you tried to turn over sixty years ago? I thought she was in a coma." She turned to Beth for reassurance. "You've seen her before. Is this the real Sarah?"

Beth bit her lip as she looked the woman over, who had risen from her seat to stand beside Josef. "I don't know how, but it's her, Simone. Awake, but it's her," she said, returning an angry gaze to Josef. "How did this happen?"

"Beth, if I had the answer to that question, I would share it with you." Josef gave Sarah's shoulder a reassuring squeeze before continuing. "The main thing is that she's safe."

"No." Sarah pulled at Josef's elbow. "That's what I wanted to tell you. It was Malcolm Rehnquist who helped me. I - I wanted to see you, but I wanted to do it on my terms. I didn't want to rush it. But … I felt woozy in his car and … I must have passed out. Then I found myself waking up here."

"There! Don't you see?" Josef shot a pleading look at Beth. "She had no chance, Beth! Rehnquist could have done anything with her! Mick recognized that! She was in no condition to defend herself awake or asleep! You must see that!"

Beth sighed and looked over at Sarah. "Sarah, I am happy that you're safe. I really am." The anger in her tone suggested otherwise. "I'm sure the story concerning how you awoke from your sleep is very interesting. But now I need to find out how I'm going to get Mick back so I would appreciate it if you all would leave his office."

Sarah's eyes widened as she slowly walked up to Beth and took her hand. Surprisingly, Beth did not resist. "Mick? Mick St. John? You know him?"

Beth shared a glance with Simone and Josef. "We all do. Do _you_ know him?"

"No. I know that he met with my father. He was the one who informed my father of my situation." She glanced over her shoulder at Josef before continuing. "I know that whatever you may think Josef did, it wasn't his fault. He didn't ask for … this to happen. _I_ didn't ask for this."

She gave Beth's hand a quick squeeze. "I know what I say will matter very little to you now, but whatever sacrifice your Mick made to guarantee my safety, I am grateful."

The tightness in Beth's face faded slightly. She wiped at her eyes with her free hand as she whispered, "Thank you."

Sarah nodded and released her hand. She turned and picked up her handbag and suitcase left by one of the couch on the floor and walked past Josef to the door. "Sarah? Where are you going?" he asked.

Sarah stopped and slowly turned around. Her eyes didn't meet Josef's as she stammered, "I - I don't know. I - I just remembered I have no idea where I am. I don't know how I got here, where I'm going to sleep - I have no idea what to do now that my father is dead."

Beth gasped at the revelation. Josef quickly walked up and took the suitcase from her hand. "You can stay with me, Sarah. I'll take you to my place, and we'll figure out what to do about your father."

Sarah raised her eyes to look at Josef. She started to speak, but instead shook her head. "Charles - excuse me. _Josef,"_ she said, giving him a rueful smile. "I wanted to do this on my own terms. That hasn't changed. So I will need a little time to myself."

With that, she reached for the suitcase. Josef sighed and set it on the floor pausing only to extend the trolley handle. "Your suitcase has wheels. You can drag it behind you," he said, guiding the suitcase's handle into her hand. "Simone will see to it that you are checked into a hotel."

The two exited the office, leaving Beth and Josef alone. Josef shook his head in bewilderment before saying, "Beth, for what it's worth, I'm not going to let Mick even leave the state. I have the Cleaner tracking him right now."

As if on cue, Josef's cell rang in his jacket. He snatched it out and connected the caller. "Yes?"

Beth watched the expression on Josef's face changed from one of expectation to a look of disappointment. "Are you certain?" A pause before responding. "Very well."

He disconnected the call and held the phone in his hand before turning to Beth. His head hung low and his eyes refused to meet Beth's. "The Cleaner got to the hangar that Rehnquist's plane was occupying," he said haltingly. "The plane is still there. She found it empty. There was no flight plan filed and no telling as of now if they took another plane or another mode of transportation."

Beth did not speak immediately. When she started to, the words caught in her throat and she stopped. She covered her mouth with her hands and turned and faced the window.

Josef walked over and laid a hand on her shoulder, surprised that she did not snatch away from his touch. "I … I swear to you, Beth, I will not rest until I get Mick back. You have my word."

Beth stared straight ahead out of the window, but lowered her hands to her sides. The two words she spoke were soft, barely audible, but the power behind them offered a sense of sobering finality.

" _Get ... out."_

#

Beth sat on Mick's couch, her legs drawn into her chest, staring at the cell phone resting in her hand. The afternoon sky gave way to evening darkness, so the device offered the only illumination in the apartment.

The CD player played a slow song that almost imitated a funeral dirge, but it was barely acknowledged as she concentrated on the picture of Mick she took during their beach picnic months ago. She remembered taking the photo, Mick never looking as happy as he was when she snapped the photo, a shot of him with a smile that made her smile the first time she saw the final product.

Now, looking at the picture, it made her want to curl up into a ball on the couch and die.

The phone vibrating in her hand for probably the twentieth time interrupted her thoughts, signifying the receipt of yet another text. She sighed and pulled up her messages, grimacing when she saw the majority of them were from Josef. She did not even bother to open them.

Simone sent one offering words of encouragement and a plea to forgive Josef. "He can be overbearing at times. We both know this," the text read. "But we both know he loves Mick. Please have some faith in him."

"I wish it was that easy, Simone," she whispered to herself as she closed the message. Seeing nothing else worth reading, she started to drop the phone on the couch beside her, but halted the process when it began ringing.

 _If this is Josef, I will answer it, and rip him a new one,_ she thought to herself as she answered. "Hello?"

She was greeted by a male voice on the other end. "Beth! Please tell me you haven't gone and done something crazy!"

It took a brief second for her to place the harried voice. "Logan? What are you talking about? And why are you calling me?"

"I'm calling you because Kostan was worried that you were planning on staking him straight through. When he told me what happened, I can't say I blame you if the idea crept into your brain."

She found her chuckling, despite the ache in her heart. "Logan, you are a Godsend. I needed a laugh. Thanks."

"No need to thank me. Josef knows you're pissed at him so he came to me to try to find him. Don't worry. I'm working every possible angle."

Beth could almost hear the unspoken "but" in his tone. "Anything else, Logan?"

"You caught that, huh? Mick said you were smart. All right. A few of us caught wind of what happened. What Kostan did - big no no. Turning a vampire over to another goes against the code."

"Code? Wait, does this match up close with what Emma Monaghan did a few weeks ago? About revealing that vampires exist here in the city?"

"Close. Dangerously closed. Which is why Kostan is bankrolling me trying to find Mick. Beth, if enough of our kind here in Los Angeles finds out what he did, he is as good as dead. He knows that."

Beth sighed. She leaned back in the couch, drawing her knees up into her chest. Despite the anger she still felt, she could not see Mick's best friend executed for turning him over to Malcolm Rehnquist. The thought of vengeance never even occurred to her. "Mick wouldn't want that to happen to Josef, so do what you can on your end. I'll see what Guillermo has in stock for you."

"Well, like I said, Kostan is bankrolling me for the search, but if you just happen tomorrow to come across a pint of A positive -"

"It's yours. And Logan? If anyone makes a move against Josef, let me know, okay?"

Logan hesitated in answering. "Beth, this is a vampire situation. If a human interferes -"

"I'm not going to interfere. _You_ are going to find Mick as quickly as possible because once you do, he will be the deciding factor in saving Josef."

She disconnected the call and the screen switched back to Mick's picture. Her eyes began to well up with tears, but she forced them back. "No. No more crying. The next time I cry, it will be when we're in each other's arms."

She gazed at the picture until sleep claimed her.

####


	3. Chapter 2

_Chapter One_

 _Awakenings_

Lieutenant Carl Davis sighed as he lowered to a crouch beside the covered corpse in the office. A pale, slender hand, the only portion of the body visible, sported a diamond ring capable of paying his salary for a year.

He held a corner of the street up to gaze at the face of the deceased woman. Through the cuts and bruises, she still somehow gave the appearance of being asleep; the healthier alternative to the gruesome reality he viewed. The bloody crowbar resting on the garage floor beside the body brought him back to that reality.

The uniformed policeman stood behind Davis as he recited from a notepad in his hand. "Name of deceased is Vivian Acree. Early forties. She's the owner of the restaurant. The manager said that she stayed late as she normally did at the end of every month to make sure the books are in order, bills paid, and so forth and so on."

Davis rose to his feet and took in the interior of the office. "No cameras. Any outside?"

"Yep." The policeman jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "The office next door. Video's being pulled up now. I think Lieutenant Joyce is looking at it."

Davis went out into the hallway, pausing to let two crime scene investigators pass with cameras and equipment in tow before entering the security room.

Two women sat facing each other at a small, wooden desk that held two computer monitors and a laptop. They both turned to him as he entered. He stopped in his tracks, unsure of whether to smile or to curse.

The smile definitely would have been directed to Danielle Joyce. The newest addition to the district attorney's office, she quickly made an impression on the veteran. So much that he has considered asking her out for drinks, and possibly more. The pleased look she gave him signified to him that the venture he sought may soon be a possibility.

While he wanted to return the gesture, he first directed his ire to the woman sitting beside Joyce. "Beth Turner. What are _you_ doing here?"

Beth smiled. "It seems that I still have some pull in the D.A.'s office, Carl. I showed up and your uniforms let me right on through. Seems some of them remembered me. Then I -"

Davis held up his hand, forestalling further comment. "As long as you don't release any information until we get an official C.O.D. from the medical examiner."

"You have my word." Beth turned to Joyce and smiled. "It's like old times. Me and Carl, going back and forth about what I _can_ and _can't_ do."

Davis bit back a curse as he marched over to the desk and drummed the desk. "Did you access the video to see if we got an image of our perp?"

Joyce nodded, turning to the laptop and keying a command on the keyboard."You're not gonna like this," she said as the screen came to life.

Davis watched as a person walked down the passageway where the offices were situated. "Damnit. I can just barely make out a face, but it's too dark. The hood he's wearing is partially covering the face. But definitely a male. Above average height. Can you make out anything else in the video?"

"Negative." Joyce held up a flash drive. "I got a copy to take to our tech geeks to see if they can clean it up, but they're backed up now as it is. It may be a week minimum before we see something back from them."

Davis started to nod his agreement, but stopped when he noted Beth's silence. She stared at the frozen image on the screen intently, as if her intent staring would help in identifying the murderer. "Beth, are you alright?"

Beth abruptly straightened in her chair. "Oh! I'm fine. Just thinking about something. Obviously very hard."

She gestured to the image on the screen. "I had to restaff some of my tech support staff at _BuzzWire,_ but they're pretty good. Mind if they have a crack at it?"

Joyce turned to Davis. He shrugged. "Only me or Joyce, Beth. If the D.A. finds out about this, we'll be writing parking tickets for the next decade."

Beth smiled as she accepted the flash drive from Joyce. She rose from her seat and patted Davis' forearm before leaving the office. Five minutes later, she was in her car navigating the empty streets west towards the residential suburbs of the city.

The satellite radio station played one of her favorite songs, but it barely registered in her consciousness as she reflected on the past three weeks.

 _I go to work every day and through the motions._

BuzzWire _has provided a temporary, though hellish distraction as I settled into my new role as managing editor. The massive upheaval Faith Pearson enacted meant better vetting of new hires there, while still maintaining a continuity of business at the newsroom._

 _It's hard to put on a brave face to anyone would would know who came on board after I had resigned months ago more than likely only see a person who inherited a hot mess to unscrew and is solely focused on doing just that._

 _And there are the few who knew me during my reporting days at_ BuzzWire _that see the strain in my face as I struggle to keep it together. Faith must have asked me if anything was bothering me like four times my first day alone. I would laugh and say I'm fine._

 _If she only knew. If anyone only_ knew _._

 _My thirteen hour day at my daytime job ends, and I head home for a bite to eat. A sandwich, or an apple, whatever is in the fridge I can eat in three minutes before I start on my nighttime job: my search for Mick._

 _Logan, God bless him, he has worked nonstop trying to find any clue as to where he was taken. The plane left at the hangar offered no evidence or idea whatsoever. Carl Davis found it strange that someone would fly an expensive Gulfstream from Paris to Los Angeles and just leave it._

 _Josef initiated the search for Mick with Logan the day he was taken. His motives were unclear. It could simply be because Mick is truly his best friend, and that he felt responsible for giving him up. Or it could be that giving him up to another vampire was an unspeakable act against their code, and it warranted a death sentence for Josef._

 _Either way, Logan's efforts have not produced any results. And the trail grows colder every morning when I wake up._

 _There is only one person who can possibly shed some light on what this Malcolm Rehnquist may have planned for Mick, or where we could find them. The thing is she is acclimating herself as a twenty-two-year-old millennial. No one knows she's really in her early eighties and recently awakened after being in a coma for over sixty years._

 _My world is_ weird.

#

Faith slid the stack of résumés away from her and thumped her head on the table twice, leaving it to rest there after the second time. "I think I feel a headache coming on. Is it time for whiskey yet?"

"No, it is not." Beth picked up the top sheet from the stack and browsed over it briefly before putting it back. "We need to find another on-site reporter and we need to do it like yesterday. Sibbohn, Jesse, and Pilar are great, but they don't really have investigation skills. And I can't be there for them all the time if someone besides Carl Davis decides they overstepped their boundaries."

Faith raised her head and grinned. "You mean they don't have Beth Turner skills. You've butchered the last three people we interviewed because of lack of experience. We may have to go out of the box on this one."

Beth sighed and slid the stack back to Faith. "Tell you what. Pick the five best that we've interviewed. I'll do the same, and we'll look into them closely. Properly vet them. Deal?"

"Deal. Maybe I can stop carrying when I come to this place. And we should also be done with your flash drive by tonight as well."

"Make sure you get everything either to Danielle Joyce or Carl Davis." Beth rose from the table to walk over and take a seat behind her desk. "Any hot assignments we have pending that I need to know about?"

"There is one I'm setting up right now." Faith pulled her tablet in front of her and opened the screen. "We have a woman who's been shaking things up in the city for the past few weeks. Her family business is in real estate. Owns one of the largest development companies in the country."

Beth shrugged as she began signing forms on her desk. "Still waiting on why this is hot."

Faith laughed. "The family's headquarters is in New York, but she's thinking of opening up an office on the west coast. Name is Whitley. Sarah Whitley."

The pen stopped moving on the form Beth was signing. She looked up from it to Faith. "Sarah Whitley. How … how did her name come up?"

Faith tilted back in her chair to look at the ceiling. "Well, her family is a bit of a mystery. Her grandmother was the only child of the principal owner and founder of the company who recently passed away. She turned up missing sixty years ago. No one, not even the father knew what happened to her. But a few months ago, the father filed papers stating that she not only was alive at one point, but also had her own daughter, who in turn had a daughter of her own. Sarah was named after her grandmother."

Beth looked away from Faith, drumming the pen in her free hand. "It … _sounds_ interesting."

"I know. I was thinking about assigning Chuck to get background on her."

"No." Beth abruptly dropped the pen on the desk. "No. I think I'll go get the background on her. Whoever we bring on board as our reporter can do the actual interview.

Faith leaned forward to look up at Beth. "You okay? You look shook up."

"I'm fine." Beth waved the question away. "I haven't done any kind of investigating since I left the district attorney's office. Need to see if I still got it. And plus I like to lead from the front."

She leaned across the desk. "Where is she staying?"

#

Beth stepped off the elevator onto the penthouse floor of the luxurious Beverly Hills hotel Faith directed her to. She regained her bearings and walked down the hallway until she found the suite number Faith provided her before leaving _BuzzWire._ Taking a deep breath, she rang the doorbell.

A few seconds passed before the door opened. Beth's eyes widened as she saw who opened the door. "Simone? What are you doing here?!"

Simone Walker seemed as surprised to see Beth on the other side of the door. She pulled her cellphone from her ear and motioned for Beth to enter. "Ever since we met, I've been helping Sarah through probate court concerning the legality of her father's will. It was basic stuff since he filed new paperwork months ago. It was just the process of coordinating with the attorneys in New York. What are _you_ doing here?"

Beth took in the interior of the expansive suite as Simone closed the door. A kitchen fit for a mansion sat to the left of the dining area, stocked with stainless steel appliances. The dining room itself, capable of accommodating a dozen guests served as Simone's makeshift office, its table adorned with a laptop, manila folders and legal documents. The living room boasted two large flatscreens, a pair of couches and three loveseats. Every table held a vase of freshly cut flowers, giving the entire suite a scent of a wide open "Her name came across my desk for a possible story. I thought it would be best if I did the background instead of sending someone else, giving the fact that she's eighty-two with the body of a twenty-two-year-old."

Beth noted that double doors to the side of the living room area were closed. "Is she here?" she asked.

Simone guided her into the living room where they sat together on one of the brown leather couches. "No matter what decade you live in, you know what women still find therapeutic? Shopping. We went to Rodeo Drive and she must have spent a fortune."

The two women laughed for a moment, easing away whatever tension that remained. "I needed a good laugh, Simone."

Simone grasped Beth's hand in both of hers. "Any news about Mick?"

Beth shook her head. "Being managing editor at _BuzzWire_ gives me more resources than I had before. But it still doesn't help. I feel bad because Logan once worked for three days straight with no rest, and all I could do was offer him a gallon of blood."

"I had a feeling, which is why I'm glad you're here." Simone leaned close and began to speak in a conspiratorial tone. "You do have options, Beth. Options that you can't find here in L.A."

Beth stared at her until she realized what she meant. "You don't mean … "

Simone nodded. "If anyone knows where to find this Malcolm Rehnquist, it's Magnus McClane. You have to ask him for your help."

Beth shook her head again. "Simone, we know more about vampires than any human should legally know. We just can't spread their business to other vampires."

Simone gave Beth a quizzical look. Before she could reply, the doors parted and Sarah Whitley exited the bedroom. "I swear, the styles and fashions have changed dramatically over the decades," she announced, looking down as she smoothed out her white silk blouse and tan trousers. Beth noted her auburn-colored, curly hair had been straightened and highlighted with a gold tint.

Simone cleared her throat. "Sarah, Beth Turner is here to see you."

Sarah looked up and finally noticed Beth and Simone sitting the couch. Her stunned look quickly switched to one of joy as she walked over. "Beth! It's so good to see you again!" She pulled the taller woman into a startling embrace.

Simone moved over to the dining table and pulled several pieces of paper from a folder. "The firm in New York forwarded a copy of the power of attorney your father had drawn up, Sarah. I need you to sign this and we can get a transfer of funds set up into your new accounts."

Sarah waved Beth over to the table. "Simone, if you're free tomorrow, I want to revisit that lingerie store. What's the name again?"

"Victoria's Secret." Simone shot Beth a mischievous grin as she gave Sarah a pen. "Sarah was in there for three hours today."

Sarah signed the form Simone produced and gave both items back to her. "Ladies, who's thirsty?" She walked over to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.

"Water for me, Sarah." Simone reached for her phone. "I have to call my office for someone to pick up these papers."

Sarah looked up from behind the door. "But when you're done with your call, you're done for the day, right?"

Simone flipped through the papers on the table in front. "Uh, yeah. Everything looks to be in order on this end."

"Then champagne it is." Sarah gleefully pulled a bottle out and set it on the counter. "Now, where are the glasses?"

While Sarah peered into an overhead cabinet, Simone leaned close to Beth and whispered, "I don't know what it was like in 1955, but she can drink. You should have seen her last night."

Sarah walked up with the bottle and three glasses. "Beth, you're having one with us, right?"

Beth looked at her watch. _Logan is probably tired of seeing me,_ she thought to herself. _I'll give him a break tonight._

She smiled. "I just need to make a phone call."

#

"A toast, ladies. To awakenings."

Sarah drained the remaining contents of her glass and reached for the champagne bottle. The three women sat outside on the spacious balcony overlooking the Beverly Hills landscape. Sarah reset the champagne bottle into the ice bucket by the sliding door.

"So, Beth. I've been meaning to reach out to you. To see if you found out anything concerning Mr. St. John."

Beth shook his head. She had worked on her own glass for nearly an hour while Sarah was on her fifth. "I haven't given up hope. I will find him, but my resources are limited."

"That's what we were talking about earlier," said Simone. She was still sipping on her first glass. "Beth, you do have options outside of the vampire nation here in Los Angeles."

"Options? What options?" Sarah looked from one woman to the other. "Is there another group out there?"

Beth sighed in defeat. "In Detroit. There's this one vampire named Magnus McClane. They call him "The Archivist." He has a group there that records the actions of probably every vampire in the world, and keeps it updated in a secure database." _Or, at least it's suppose to be secure,_ she thought wryly.

Sarah shrugged. "All right. So, what's the problem?"

"The problem is that Josef prefers to keep vampire matters in house, and by in house, I mean in Los Angeles." Beth placed her glass on the table. "He's very protective of what goes on here."

Simone snapped her fingers. "Wait a minute. We both know someone who has strong ties to the vampire community _and_ is human."

Beth gave her a blank look until she realized who she was speaking of. "It might work," she mused. "As long as he doesn't put our name in whatever he does."

"Who are you talking about?" queried Sarah.

"Xavier King," answered Beth. "He's related to a vampire. Don't ask how that works, but his uncle is one of the most prominent vampires in Detroit. Former U.S. Marine. He could help us out."

"Well then!" Sarah clapped her hands. "I sense a trip to Detroit in our future!"

Beth rolled her eyes.

#

Josef Kostan stood behind his desk, staring out of the window. His hands were stuffed deep into his pockets, an uncustomary act for him.

So was nervousness.

Standing on the other side of the desk, Adrian Wells reviewed notes he had on a computer tablet. "It's been three weeks, and still nothing, sir. No word out of New York, Paris, or England. The associates you hired are going to look into Russia, China, and Denmark next."

He looked up at his employer who still had his back turned. "Sir, it's obvious that Malcolm Rehnquist has the resources and the centuries of vast experience to stay hidden for a very long time. I'm afraid we may never find him or Detective St. John."

Josef did not say anything, his focus still outside his window. Adrian took the silence as his cue to leave. He turned and made his way to the office door, giving the only other occupant standing in a corner a slight glance before exiting.

"Well. You heard it yourself. I may never find Mick," Josef said gravely as he turned around. "For all I know, he may be a pile of ashes by now."

The Cleaner moved out of the shadows to the space in front of Josef's desk Adrian recently vacated. Her long, red hair stood out against the matte black, skintight outfit she routinely favored as she crossed her arms, a look of disdain evident on her face.

"I can't continue to hold back everyone on this, Josef," she said. "I don't need to remind you that this does not bode well for you at all. Giving up one vampire to another is a heinous, unspeakable crime, one which you should be answering for with your life."

Josef slowly slid into his chair, never taking his eyes off of the woman. "Is that the reason for your visit today? Because since we're on the subject, I've been wondering why haven't I met my end during an impromptu visit to the tar pits. Or with a military incendiary grenade. Only thing I ask is not in the office. I just had it redone."

The Cleaner clearly was not amused. "You wouldn't have to worry about me doing it, when and if it comes down to it. But you're right. There are a few reasons why you aren't there yet." She paced in front of the desk. "One, Mick wouldn't want this for you, no matter the outcome. We all know you two have been friends for decades. Two, you were put in an unimaginable position. I heard about this Sarah Whitley, and I understood. To a certain extent."

Josef raised a quizzical eyebrow. "How do you know about her?"

"The third reason. Beth Turner. For a human, she can be quite persuasive. She and a few others had intervened on your behalf. I believe it was because it's what Mick would have even she won't be able to stop this for much longer."

The Cleaner turned and headed for the exit, leaving Josef alone with his thoughts.

#

Simone's mouth fell open in surprise. She looked at Sarah for a second before going back to Beth. "You're kidding me. All the vampires in Los Angeles want to kill Josef because of what he did?"

"They have rules, Simone. You should know that. Unspoken, uncharted rules, but rules to keep themselves safe. Which is understandable. Mick has lived here practically his entire life with very minimal issues." Beth sat back in her chair. "It's possible as long as vampires stay out of the limelight."

Simone leaned forward out of her seat. "Beth, it's been three weeks. They didn't wait that long during the Monaghan situation. Why is Josef still alive?"

Beth sighed and began playing with the ring on her finger. "I admit when all of this started, I was angry at Josef. I was _pissed._ I wanted Josef dead. But one of Mick's friends called and told me that Josef asked him to start looking. I can tell he's trying. So I put word out through the vampires I've met through Mick who were aware of what happened and told them as such. They agreed that Josef needs to be given a chance to make this right. If anything, Mick would have wanted it that way."

Sarah fell silent as she absorbed the news, giving Beth the opportunity to change the subject. "Well, it seems like you've been embracing your new role as owner of your father's company."

Simone nodded. "I arranged for Sarah to fly to New York to settle her father's affairs. The company's officers were happy that a member of John Whitley's family would still be in charge, though they were a bit skeptical that it's a twenty-two-year-old who not only is the mysterious quote on quote, granddaughter of the child he lost sixty years ago, but possibly also with no clue about business. So … I had to show them a thing or two."

Sarah sat back in her chair, staring at the glass resting in her hand. "My father started the company just before World War II ended. Many people were skeptical, but somehow he knew that there would be a shortage of housing for returning soldiers. Within three years, he had over 50,000 homes sold, another twenty-thousand waiting to be sold, and developed land for more than ten thousand new businesses in five states."

She glanced at a bird that had perched on the railing several feet away, smiling at the memory. "My father would take me to his offices and show me his survey maps, or plans for a new skyscraper or house. His love for his work eventually transferred over to me while I was still a teenager, and he began grooming me for a position at the company. I had just graduated from Yale in 1954, the year I met …"

Instead of finishing the sentence, she abruptly stood up. "Bottom line, I think i convinced them that I have Whitley blood in my veins. In fact, I'm working on one or two deals here in Los Angeles that will make them happy. But it's getting late, Beth, and I still have a ton of stuff to do. It just dawned on me that you may have had a reason for stopping by."

"Uh, yeah. Yes, I do." Beth quickly regained her thoughts. "Is it okay if I stop by sometime tomorrow? _BuzzWire_ is interested in doing a story on the new mover and shaker we have here in Los Angeles."

Sarah looked over at Simone, who shrugged. "I personally wouldn't mind waiting until we figure out where did you graduate from this century, but I don't think it will be a problem provided Beth takes point. She knows enough to where she could fill in the blanks herself."

"Sure."

Sarah smiled and reached over to grasp Beth's hand. "Come by in the morning?"

Beth nodded, returning the squeeze before Sarah released it. "I have to call the New York office. Still haven't figured out the cell phone yet, so I'll be in my bedroom."

She smiled at both women before stepping through the sliding door entrance. Beth watch her navigate the living room. "How is she settling in? Truthfully?"

Simone shrugged. "You noticed she hadn't said Josef's name the entire time?"

"I caught that. Not surprised. It took me a week before I could say his name and not "that bastard" or "son of a bitch." What else?"

Simone smiled. "She has her moments. Still discovering the internet. Eleven presidential administrations. She was in awe about the moon landing mission. Then I showed her "Star Wars.""

"Which one?"

"All of them."

###


	4. Chapter 3

_Chapter Two_

 _A Pretty Picture_

Josef circled the conference table, eyeing each one of its occupants carefully as he announced, "The estate has placed the winery, its vineyard, and another thousand acres into receivership as of ten this morning. My sources tell me there is no other interested parties, so let's make sure this is sealed up. I expect to be taking ownership tonight when I meet with the board at the Los Angeles Convention Center."

He turned away from them without a second glance, walking over to the bar on the far side of his office as everyone rose and departed. He poured himself a glass of plasma from the carafe, pausing to enjoy the aroma briefly before replacing the top on the container. "Not like a healthy, free flowing vein, but it will have to do," he mused to himself as he raised the glass.

Before Josef could take a sip, his office door opened behind him, causing a familiar scent of a very expensive perfume to wash across him. His nostrils flared at the aroma. Quickly masking his surprise with a forced smile, he slowly turned around, lowering the glass.

"I was wondering what it would it take for you to get out from under your client's thumb. How long has it been? A week? Two?"

Simone stood at the door with her arms crossed. "Ten days. And I came by to see if my firm was still representing you. After all, it was _your_ idea to help Sarah."

"Wait a minute." Josef held up a hand. "Do you mean to tell me … that all this is …"

Simon walked up and patted him on his face, smiling sweetly as she said, "Billable hours, yes."

Josef turned around and set his glass down on the bar. He reached for an empty one and the pitcher of water beside it. "How is she, by the way?"

" _She_ has yet to say your name, though Rodeo Drive is loving her. But Sarah isn't the person I'm here about."

Josef handed her the glass and turned to reclaim his own. "You want to know what I'm doing about Mick."

"Yes, but I need to ask you a question. Is your vampire ego so inflated to where you won't go outside Los Angeles to ask for help, or is it the threat of death that's preventing you from doing so?"

For the second time in as many tries, the glass failed to meet Josef's lips. He sighed and turned to lock a steely gaze on the attorney. "Where did you hear that?"

"Beth believes you're playing this close to the vest because if enough vampires here caught wind of what you did, they'll execute you. Is that true?"

The expression on Josef's face betrayed no surprise saved one slightly arched eyebrow. He swallowed the glass' contents in a single gulp and placed it on the bar before walking over to his desk. Simone followed behind him, grabbing him by his elbow to spin him around. "Josef, answer me! Is everything true?!"

Josef stared down first at Simone and then at his arm in her grasp. She quickly released him, stammering, "I - I'm sorry."

Josef nodded and gestured to a seat in front of his desk. Simone lowered herself into it. "Please, Josef," she said pleadingly. "Is it true?"

"Yes," he said. "It's true. When I turned Mick over to Malcolm Rehnquist, I broke an unwritten, yet cardinal law we all have here in Los Angeles. That no vampire here would betray another to an outside entity. By turning Mick over to Rehnquist, I … sentenced myself to death."

Simone leaned back into her seat, struggling to absorb the news. Josef sighed and walked around the desk to pick up a piece of paper. "I've had Rehnquist's known retreats scouted. Nothing. Coraline hasn't seen them. A few of my friends outside of our circle have heard rumors, but nothing has panned out."

Simone rose to her feet. "Josef, if you want to find Mick, let Beth help you. The only way to get that death sentence wiped off the table is if we bring him back here safe and sound."

"And how is that, Simone?!" He gestured wildly around him. "What could she do that I couldn't?"

Simone steeled herself. "Let her go to Detroit. If anyone can find Rehnquist, it may be Magnus McClane."

Josef scoffed at the request, giving Simone an incredulous look. "Are you mad? I'm doing everything I can to keep the vampires here in L.A. off of my ass. Do you want every vampire _in the world_ hunting me down?!"

He turned around and leaned heavily on the credenza behind his desk. Simone slowly walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Josef, if you want to make things right, do you honestly see another way?"

Josef sighed and straightened, chuckling softly as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I guess we all can't live forever."

#

"So, her grandmother, who according to my sources in New York, was actually a socialite who became a missing person in 1955, when in reality, she runs off with some bigwig there to France, has a daughter _who_ in turn gets pregnant and has a daughter of her own, her, and all three are living carefree overseas until a few years ago when the grandmother reveals herself to her father as being alive and well." Faith leaned back in her chair and massaged her temples with her thumb and forefinger. "I think I have a headache. My head is spinning."

Beth laughed as she pecked away on her laptop. "I'm concentrating on Sarah Whitley's business acumen, Faith. Though the whole story did confuse me when we talked this morning."

"No, that's fine. We're trying to get out of peeking through fences and spying, remember?" Faith sat down and handed Beth a sheet of paper. "Meantime, I have someone I need you to interview."

Beth took the paper and scanned it with a hurried eye before setting it to the side, shaking her head. "Faith, it's way too early in the day to start drinking."

Faith waved the comment away. "You said we need to think outside the box. She has everything we've been looking for. Experience, integrity -"

"And a classic dislike for us." Beth tapped the paper with a finger. "Harper Ryan has been gunning for _BuzzWire_ ever since Maureen scooped that key witness right from under her nose last year."

"And since then, she has had a dedicated following." Faith began counting off her fingers. "Her online hit rate percentage was close to yours when you were out in the field doing news pieces, she snagged two exclusive interviews with city council members who got caught up in that sex scandal, and she broke a Beverly Hills scandal. She polled high as, and I quote, 'The one the City of Angels trusts,' end quote."

Beth shook her head again, but reached for the reśumé as she rose from her seat. "Okay, what happened with her and … _L.A. Story?_ Last I heard, she was in line for managing editor."

"That's what I heard as well. Something you can ask her in twenty minutes," said Faith as she opened the office door and began to exit.

Beth looked up, blinking several times in surprise as she called out after her. "Twenty minutes? Wait, what did you do?!"

When she received no reply, she sighed and sat back down and pulled her laptop close again, but her cell phone began ringing on her desk before she made one keystroke. Her forehead wrinkled when she glanced at the name on the screen. She sighed once again and picked it up. "Yes, Simone?"

"Beth, can you meet me tonight?"

Beth noted the excitement in Simone's voice but chose to ignore it. "I need to make up for last night with Logan. What's this all about?"

"I'll meet you at your apartment later then."

The call disconnected before Beth could answer. She frowned at the phone before powering it down and replacing it on her desk before returning her attention to her laptop. She was three pages into her story before a knock on her door disrupted her flow. Grimacing as she noted the time on her watch, she rose from her chair and walked from behind her desk to open her office door.

Two women stood outside; Kat, the purple-haired intern, and a brunette equal in height to Beth. She carried a organizer in the crook of her left arm while the right extended out in front of her, a faint smile on her face.

"Beth Turner. When I heard that you took over as managing editor for _BuzzWire,_ I honestly couldn't believe it. I had to come see for myself."

Beth shook the proffered hand. "Just like I couldn't believe you were coming here for an interview. So let's just say we're both surprised."

She released Harper's hand and nodded to the intern. "Thanks, Kat. Let Faith know we're about to get started in here, please."

"Actually, Kat, hold off on that," said Harper, grabbing Kat's wrist. "Let Faith know Beth will call her in ten minutes to come down. We need to speak privately."

Kat slowly gave Beth a puzzled look, which Beth repeated in the look she herself gave Harper. "It's fine, Kat. Tell Faith I'll call her down when we're ready."

Beth stepped back into her office, gesturing for Harper to sit down in the chairs at the small table by her desk. "I guess we're going off the record about why you decided to interview with me today?"

Harper scoffed in response, standing in front of the desk with one hand on her hip as she locked eyes with Beth.

"Have you found him yet?"

For the second time since Harper's arrival, puzzlement fell on Beth's face. "Found him? Found _who_?"

Harper leaned in close and whispered, "Mick St. John."

Beth froze as she heard Mick's name. She attempted to recover. "Uh, Harper, I have no idea _what_ you are talking about."

This time, Harper laughed out loud as she extracted a tablet from her organizer and powered it on. "Turner, Turner, Turner. There's no need to be shy with me. Hit the video icon marked "Pilot." I think you'll know what I'm talking about when you see this."

She held the tablet out across the desk to Beth who gave it a cursory glance before taking it. The icon Harper described was the only item in the center of the small screen. She pressed it.

The screen filled with the background of a dark room, but it was hardly noticeable as Beth saw Mick sitting at a table talking to someone, a woman, off-camera. He wore a confident expression on his face as he readily answered question after question about …

She gasped at the realization. "Vampires," she whispered. She looked up at Harper. "You know about vampires. You know Mick is a vampire."

Harper nodded, finally taking the seat behind her. "More than a year ago, I was tasked with updating our database, so I came into town from Detroit to speak with several vampires. Mick was one of them."

"The database? Detroit?" Beth sat back in her chair. "You worked for Magnus McClane. The Archivist."

Harper clapped her hands. "And score one for the managing editor. I knew you were more than a pretty face. A few years back, I found out about a group of vampires there and wrote everything up. Pictures, names, addresses, the whole nine. I made copies of everything before they caught up with me. I thought I was a goner!"

Beth smirked. "Let me guess. McClane came at you with a sword?"

Harper gasped. "You met the man in "Highlander Mode," as I like to call it. Yeah, he wanted to chop me up. But then he read what I wrote. And for some reason, he was impressed. Hired me on the spot."

Ryan sat back in her chair. "McClane noticed there's been no activity from St. John in quite some time. No credit card activity, no internet usage from his loft. Even a layer of dust on his Mercedes."

"You know there's dust on his car?"

"When a vampire comes up missing for no apparent reason, the Archivist needs to know what happened. If it's human related, it could spill out to other corners of the world where vampires reside."

Beth started to speak but noticed Faith and Kat conversing outside her door. "We'll have to pick this up later when we can speak freely," she said softly, rising to her feet. "Until then, pretend like you want a job here, okay?"

Harper shrugged.

"I can make no promises."

#

Josef strolled into the banquet hall and took in the scene before him. Men and women milled around in small groups engrossed in conversation, while wait staff hustled effortlessly through the crowd with trays of hors d'oeuvres and champagne flutes. One waiter noted his entrance and immediately approached. He started to wave the tray away but decided to take a glass. Champagne was one of the few things he found tolerable that was not plasma.

He smiled and made his way through the crowd, nodding at several people he was acquainted with through his day-to-day business dealings and whispered into the ear of a beautiful model he had once escorted to a movie premiere. He left her giggling as he saw Adrian standing near a side entrance by the dais with a thick folder in hand, speaking rather adamantly with a portly, bald gentleman Josef recognized as the vice-president of one of the most prestigious and financially progressive banks in California. Adrian caught his boss' eye and hurriedly waved him over. Josef downed his drink in one quick gulp and set the empty glass on the tray of a passing waiter before calmly making his way over to the two men.

Josef smiled at the vice-president, who saw him and immediately paled in the face as he approached. "Richard. You look like you're about to lose your lunch," he said. "The pigs in a blanket can't be all that bad."

Adrian held the folder out to him. "We have a situation, sir."

Josef gave his associate a frown as he took the folder and opened it, thumbing through the documents kept inside. His eyes quickly scanned over each sheet, widening ever more slightly at the turn of each page.

"We received your proposal on time, Mr. Kostan," said the bank president. He wrung his hands nervously while Adrian stood closely beside him, his eyes locked onto him like a snake spying its prey. "The board reviewed it and were about to call for a vote. You _were_ the only one who had submitted a bid! But the new proposal was personally walked in by Carl Slattery himself."

Josef's head jerked up from the folder. "Carl Slattery? I spoke to him yesterday. He assured me my proposal was sufficient in purchasing the property! What changed?"

In answer, the side exit behind Josef opened. He started to speak but caught a whiff of a familiar scent caught in the air. The words caught in his throat as he slowly turned around, forcing a smile on his face. "And here I thought I was going to dance by myself tonight."

Standing at the head of of two men, both three inches taller than Josef, Sarah Whitley smiled back at Josef. "That may still be a possibility, but I only came to introduce myself to Richard King and drop off my bid proposal for the winery and the surrounding properties."

Richard casted a wary, sidelong glance at Josef before stepping forward. "I tried calling you, Miss Whitley. It turns out that your bid was accepted by the board this afternoon. All that's required now is for our attorneys to begin the transfer paperwork."

Sarah clapped her hands together. "That is excellent news!" She offered Josef a smile as she leaned in close. "I always wanted a winery."

Josef pursed his lips as he slowly turned his head to lock eyes with Adrian. He gave a small nod and stepped to King's side and began speaking while pulling him away from the group.

Josef returned his gaze to Sarah. "Security?" He nodded to the men standing behind her.

"More like tour guides." She shot a smile over her shoulder at one of the men. "Los Angeles isn't New York, but it just as well be."

"Well, I'm not big on dancing anyway, but might we take a drink together? I'm sure you have time for that."

She smiled and turned to hand her large handbag to one of the men accompanying her, fishing out a silver cigarette case and lighter. "Can we smoke in here?"

Josef did not answer, staring at the items in her hand. Sarah noticed the silence and what caught his eye. "The first time we met at the train station, I asked you for a light. Remember that?"

He smiled at the memory.

"That was a pretty picture."

#

After securing a tumbler of bourbon and another glass of champagne, Josef and Sarah made their way outside to a outdoor bar. Aside from a bartender and one other patron, they were alone in the area cordoned off by a brass railing. Across the street, hundreds of people filed into the Staples Center.

Sarah lit her cigarette and slipped her lighter in the cigarette case. She took a drag and closed her eyes, savoring the flavor. "One century, I'm smoking in the library while I study for my final exams. The next, I catch awful eyes staring at me if I so much attempt to light a cigarette while walking down the street. This is such a different time."

Josef set his glass onto the railing. "Humans are more health conscious in this century. One third of Los Angeles is gluten-free. Another third swears off carbs. The last third? Vegans. Yoga is big these days. Pilates. Pole dancing."

Sarah flicked the ashes off of her cigarette into an ashtray she had procured from a table beside her. "Simone offered to take me to a yoga class the other night after showing it to me on … YouTube? I told her I'd have to think about it."

"I hope you check it out. Just please keep any discussions concerning business during normal business hours." Josef held her drink out to her. "I have a feeling my bill to her firm will match what you spent on the winery."

Sarah set her cigarette in the ashtray and accepted the glass. "I didn't know you had sent in a bid on the property until after mine was accepted. It turns out that my father - excuse me - _great-grandfather -_ he had a relationship with the bank in its early years. Mr. Slattery was very accommodating when he had found out."

Sarah took a sip as Josef sighed. "So you didn't buy the winery to spite me?"

"Of course not. I have nothing against you … _Josef_. I'm still trying to come to terms with your name."

Josef nodded. "I understand seeing someone you knew by a different name from years past may take some getting used to. Just as I know you may have so many questions to ask me."

"Then let's throw all our cards on the table." Sarah finished her bourbon and set the glass by the ashtray, stopping to pick back up her cigarette. A long ashtray fell from the tip. "Let's have dinner tonight. Just you and me. What do you say?"

Josef considered the request. He was about to respond when the doors they had exited moments before parted open. Adrian peered outside until he saw Josef and Sarah standing on the far side and waved a cell phone in the air.

"It appears that I'm needed," he said. "But … I have your number. If I finish my business in time, we might be able to arrange something for this evening."

A shadow of disappointment crossed over Sarah's features. She smiled and reached up to give Josef a kiss on his cheek, pausing to whisper in his ear as her lips brushed lightly across his skin.

"Don't keep me waiting all night."

#

Harper paced around Mick's loft, absorbing Beth's accounts of Mick's abduction. "Malcolm Rehnquist. Hmmm. Never heard of him. And the Archivist's records pretty much started in cities like Paris. What is he to Coraline Duvall?"

Beth poured two glasses of water from a pitcher in the refrigerator. "From what I gathered, he sired Coraline's entire blood line."

"That is huge." Harper walked over to the kitchen island and accepted the glass Beth held out to her. "McClane has been trying to find that little bit of info for at least two centuries. And you get it in less than two days."

She took a swallow of her water and set the glass to the side, pulling her laptop close to her. "I'll send McClane an email of what you've given me and to get a log-in. Maybe there's a record of a Malcolm Rehnquist in the database."

As her computer powered up, Harper looked up at Beth who stood on the other side facing her. "When I met St. John, he seemed like he could handle himself. Self assured. Cocky, if you want a general description. How was it that he was taken by this Rehnquist guy?"

Beth started to answer but thought better of it, not really wanting to divulge Josef's part in the incident to Harper. As if on cue, her cell phone beeped for attention. She pulled it from her jacket and smiled when she saw the name on the caller ID. "I have to take this," she said.

Stepping away from Harper, she connected the call. "Well well. Are you back?"

"Back and better than ever." Allison Lindsey responded on the other end. "Japan is nicer when you're there as a tourist and not in the military. Even though the ultimate reason I was there was for work. Alex Sanders should do well over there. I wish you would have come."

"Maybe next time. When did you get in?"

"Two hours ago. Wanna grab something to eat later, say around 9? I picked up a nice robe for you. And you will never believe what a pair of Jordans go for over there!"

Beth glanced over her shoulder to where Harper was working earnestly on her computer. "I'm in the middle of something right now. Can I call you in a few hours?"

"Okay. Don't keep me waiting."

Beth ended the call and went back over to where Harper sat with her laptop. "When your guys looked Magnus in with that mess about the list, he upgraded his security protocols. Aside from the London and Detroit sites, there are only a dozen men and women who have outside access to the database. I'm technically a part-timer, but I was able to convince him to let me keep my log-in, though I'll probably be getting a phone call to verify it's me in about five minutes."

She tapped the laptop screen as she turned to Beth. "There is only one reference to a Malcolm Rehnquist in the entire database. Turns out someone logged in the fact that he owned a few ships down there. Some yachts. A few container ships. Port of Los Angeles is one of their regular stops."

Beth's heartbeat quickened at the news. "Do you have a name of any of his ships.?"

"Just one. The " _Cerise."_ " Harper raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Okay, if that doesn't sound gangster for a centuries-old vampire, I don't know what does."

Beth ignored her as she picked up her cell phone. "We need someone to check it out," she said, scrolling down her contact list until she found the name she was looking for.

"Who?"

Beth smiled.

"Someone who isn't human."

#

Guillermo Gasol nodded his thanks as he accepted a cup of blood from Beth. "The portmaster wasn't really willing to give up any kind of information concerning incoming or outgoing vessels. Luckily, I didn't have to get all into his personal business, thanks to Calrissian over here."

Beth gave Logan Griffin a quizzical look, which he pretended not to notice as he worked the mousepad on his laptop at Mick's desk. "I hacked into their database and surveillance system with no problem, but there's several terabytes of information I'll have to sift through. And the only system powerful enough to do that is at my house."

He did not say anything else, causing Beth to worry. "I meant to ask Guillermo if he has another batch of A positive, Logan. I've been busy."

Logan glanced up at Beth. "What? Oh! You're thinking about every time Mick had me doing something, some sort of monetary transaction always takes place, and you feel obligated?"

Guillermo chuckled. "No, fool. She's thinking I might have the last cup of A positive."

Beth laughed, in spite of herself. She started to say something but a knock at the office door startled her. Guillermo turned his head to the exit and closed his eyes briefly before reopening them, focusing onto her.

"Human. From the Victoria's Secret perfume I smell, it's a female."

Logan frowned at Guillermo as Beth walked past to the door. "How do you know?"

"Dude, I work with dead bodies. If I get a twenty-year-old blonde on the table, she has on expensive underwear and reeks of perfume. Do it for a few decades. Trust me."

Beth pressed the button on the monitor for the door camera. She relaxed at the image displayed. "It's fine. This is the woman I was telling you about," she said, opening the door to admit Harper Ryan.

Harper stepped past Beth into the office. "The Archivist lit into me when he found out what I was doing, Turner," she said hurriedly. "Said he wants to talk to you about it. Personally."

" _Me_? Why?"

Harper noted Logan and Guillermo sitting around the desk. "Because he thinks there's more to St. John's disappearance than just Malcolm Rehnquist taking him. And he wants whatever information you have concerning him."

She then gestured to the men. "Wow. You _are_ in good with the vampires here in L.A. Guillermo Gasol _and_ Logan Griffin? Big fan right here."

Beth hastened over to Guillermo before he could rise from his chair. "Guys, Harper Ryan here is a database analyst for Magnus McClane, a.k.a. The Archivist."

Guillermo glanced over at Harper before settling back into his chair. "Hi."

Harper smiled as she looked over to Beth. "You have one vampire who's a detective, another who's one of the best computer geeks out there, and a third who's in with the medical examiner's office. A nice little team."

Beth held her hands out. "Wait a minute. I'm still trying to figure out why McClane wants to see me."

"Well, from the conversation I had with him, I think you made some sort of impression when you met him last month. But he thinks there's more to this whole thing than what he can see."

Behind Harper, Logan surreptitiously shot a glance at Guillermo as Beth shook her head. "Harper, I'm busy with this, with work, I still have to meet with my friend … " Beth glanced at her watch and cursed under her breath. "I'm late! I can't just pick up and jump on a plane to go to Detroit at a moment's notice."

"Ah, but that's the joy of it all." Harper waved a finger in the air as she moved over to the door. "Why bring you to Detroit when I can bring Detroit to you?"

With a flourish, she swung open the door. Beth gasped at the sight of Magnus McClane standing outside. His long, black hair was pulled up into a bun tied to the top of his head.

Guillermo and Logan jumped to their feet simultaneously at the sight of the vampire who towered over all of the occupants in the room. McClane merely smiled. "Harper. You know how I hate to be kept waiting, lass."

Harper waved McClane inside. "But you love dramatic entrances," she said. "Don't pretend you don't."

McClane growled as he looked around the office briefly before settling his eyes on Beth. "Aye. We meet again, Miss Turner."

Beth said nothing as McClane glanced at Guillermo and Logan. Both vampires were still standing, but shared uncertain glances with each other. "I can take both of your heads off and throw them outside to the pavement below before your bodies even begin to fall to the floor. Sit."

Guillermo and Logan traded one more glance before reclaiming their chairs as McClane turned back to Beth, but spoke to Harper. "Keep the boys company, Ryan. I want to talk to this one in private."

Beth led McClane into the apartment. He nodded with approval as he took in the decor. "I never cared for him. Your Mick. But he has some taste."

He sat down on the couch and gestured for Beth to sit beside him. "Harper told me what happened with St. John. How he was taken by Malcolm Rehnquist. But what she didn't tell me was _why._ She said you would possibly know."

Beth sighed in defeat. "Mick was taken by Malcolm Rehnquist because … Josef gave him up."

McClane's eyebrows rose sharply in surprise. He leaned closer as if to hear Beth more clearly. " _Kostan_? Josef _Kostan_ gave him up? Why?"

"It was because Rehnquist took a woman from Josef's past," Beth said quickly. "Josef made the wrong choice, but he did it to protect her."

McClane sat back into the couch, rolling his eyes. "Oh, the whole damsel in distress bit. So clichè." He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead.

Beth slid a little closer to McClane. "The woman Josef was protecting was a human he tried to turn back in 1955. The love of his life. Maybe the _only_ love of his life. Something ... happened and she fell into a coma. Josef had her resting at a house in New York for decades until Rehnquist found her somehow. He was able to bring her out of her coma and brought her here to Los Angeles to hold over Josef's head."

McClane stared at Beth in shocked silence as she wrung her hands. "I hated Josef for what he did. Believe me. I hated him. But … I think about Mick. I think about Mick and what he would do. He would have turned himself over to Rehnquist even if Josef begged him not to."

She grasped McClane's forearm tightly. "Give me at least two days. We finally have a lead, our first since all this started. I think we're close, but I'm going to need Josef and his resources and if every vampire in Los Angeles is hunting him down, it will take away from what I'm doing in finding Mick."

McClane scoffed and pulled his arm away, rising to his feet. He gave Beth a sad look. "Los Angeles? Lass, it's not the vampires here Kostan will have to worry about. They will be the least of his problems."

Before Beth would form an inquiry, McClane pulled a cell phone from an inside jacket pocket and dialed a number as he moved to the door. He opened it and began to step out into the hallway, but pause to turn back to Beth, still sitting on the couch but turned around to watch his departure with uncertainty.

"You have your forty-eight hours, Miss Turner."

With that, he closed the door behind him, leaving Beth to ponder what exactly he had meant. She stood and walked back into the office. Harper had replaced Logan behind Mick's desk, staring down the two vampires sitting in front of it like two students facing the principal.

Harper jabbed her finger into the desk surface. "I'm telling you two right now, the best lead isn't the port. It's Paris. Rehnquist lives above some high end restaurant there. We fly there, find some answers."

Guillermo shook his head. "You fly there, and then what? Paris has the highest concentration of vampires in the world. Over twice the amount L.A. has. You might make it there, but you won't make it back."

Harper started to reply, but noted Beth's reappearance. "There you are! Where's Magnus?"

"He left." Beth walked over and fell into the couch against the wall. "And thanks for the warning, by the way. You could have told me he was in town."

"Hey, I didn't know myself until a hour ago. He loves the Lions. They have a preseason game against San Francisco tomorrow, so he and some of his staff flew in. Alistair, his assistant, called him, and he called me."

Beth sighed and leaned back, covering her eyes with her forearm. "Well, we have two days to find Mick before … _something_ happens. He said the vampires here will be the least of Josef's problems."

Harper covered her mouth in surprise. She stared at Logan and Guillermo who gave her a bewildered look in return. "What's wrong?" asked Logan.

She turned her head in Beth's direction. "What else did Magnus say?"

Beth did not stir on the couch. "That's it. Why?"

Harper sighed and sat down behind the desk. "Josef won't have to contend with the Logan Griffins and Guillermo Gasols of Los Angeles. No. This dictates a far more brutal touch. A notice served to all vampires who even think of committing the same crime."

Beth slowly raised her head as the full gravity of Harper's words hit her. She looked over to her and saw the confirmation she dreaded on her face. Shooting up to her feet, she hurried over to the desk and snatched up her purse before rushing out of the office.

#

Beth paced in her living room, glancing at her watch every five seconds. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and began dialing, but a knock at her door interrupted the process.

She rushed over and opened the door. Simone stood on the other side waiting. "What took you so long? We don't have a lot of time."

"I know. Which is why I brought him along." Simone gestured to her side as Josef stepped into view from beside the door.

He smiled as he rubbed his hands together. "Beth. It's been a while."

Clearly exasperated, Beth grabbed Simone by the elbow and snatched her into the apartment, slamming the door in Josef's face. "Why did you bring him here?!"

"Because he understands the seriousness of the situation." Simone shrugged out of Beth's grasp. "He wants to help in any way possible. Even if it means going outside for … other resources."

Beth looked into Simone's eyes for a long minute before she sighed and reached to open the door. Josef stood exactly as he was before, rubbing his hands.

"Beth," he repeated. "It's been a while."

He started to enter but Beth remained steadfast in the doorway blocking his entry. "Is it true? Are you going to help?"

Josef nodded. "I'll do all I can."

She stood to the side and gestured for him to enter. "I hope you will, because after what I just found out, we don't have much time."

"What are you talking about?" Josef moved to Simone's side in the living room as Beth closed the door. "I've spoken to a few vampires here and they're willing to give me the time to find Mick."

"You don't have to worry about them, Josef," said Beth. "Magnus McClane knows. He knows everything, and now we have two days to find Mick."

The smile on Josef's face disappeared at the news. He sat down on the arm of one of the chairs and whistled. "You really did it now," he whispered. "You couldn't just sit on your hands for a few more weeks until we run Malcolm out into the open, and I would have gotten out of him where Mick was kept."

"This wasn't my fault, Josef!" Beth moved to stand in front of Josef. "One of McClane's people came to me. She knew Mick was gone. She tried to help, and we actually have a few leads because of it. Because of the list getting out into the open, McClane initiated new protocols for his database, and that's how he found out."

Josef stood up and patted Beth on the shoulder. "It's fine, Beth. I'll make a call to McClane in Detroit and explain everything. It's fine."

Before he could move for the door, Beth announced, "He's already here in the city."

Josef stopped in his tracks at the news. Simone held up a hand. "What's going to happen in two days?"

Beth remained silent, but Josef turned to the attorney, a grim expression gracing his face."

"War."

#


	5. Chapter 4

_Chapter Three_

 _Human Nature_

Simone navigated her Mercedes through the busy streets towards Chinatown's business sector. "A lot of vampires think that because of his wealth and influence, Josef is the most prominent of them all in L.A., but I just found out that's not true."

Sitting in the passenger seat, Beth shot her a sidelong glance. "Wait. You mean he's not?"

"No, and I'm just as shocked as you are. There's another one. A female. Josef has only met her a few times over the past hundred years, and no recent meetings since the Vietnam War. She's not well known like Josef or the Monaghans, but her wealth comes from importing and exporting over the centuries with countries all across the world."

Simone pulled into a vacant parking spot in front of a convenience store and restaurant. Several men and women milled about outside near the doors. An elderly woman stood to the side near the end of the sidewalk spraying water on potted plants situated on a small, wooden table.

Beth peered outside at the scene. "Is this it?"

Simone nodded as she turned off the car. "Ryder and Adrian gave me the address. I guess if there were any dealings between this woman and Josef, intermediaries handled their business."

"But _here_?" Beth gestured outside. "Simone. We're in front of a store and a restaurant. _A store_ and _a restaurant._ What vampire is more powerful than Josef and works in a convenience store or … The Lucky Dragon?"

Simone shrugged. "I don't know. Why does that one vampire work at the morgue? Or Mick a detective? Or Josef as a hedge fund trader? Or the Monaghans as sports agents and managers? What makes vampires do what they do?"

She sighed and gestured out the window. "All I can say is Josef is taking a big risk by allowing us to speak with this woman, because he made it sound like this woman is highly connected. He knows his life is on the line, but he thinks by coming forth to this her, she will be in his corner if everyone calls for his head."

Beth stared Simone down in silence for several seconds. Simone stared back, expressionless.

"Plus, I heard the sushi is good."

The two women exited the vehicle and went inside the store. Several customers were standing in line as a cashier rang in purchases on a touchscreen register. A few ventured up and down the aisles shopping for different items.

Simone spotted a stocker in the corner labeling small bags of candy. She tapped Beth on her elbow and pointed to him. Beth nodded and walked up to him with a smile. "Hi. I'm looking for the owner. Is she available?"

The stocker gave her a confused look. Beth started to ask the question again but Simone stopped her. "He may not speak English," she said as she reached into her purse and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "I don't know how Adrian knows Chinese, but he wrote a note to give to anyone who works here."

Simone unfolded the paper and held it out to the stocker. He stared at it questionly for a moment before taking it. His eyes darted over the characters carefully before giving her a short nod and turned to walk to a closed door marked OFFICE. He opened it and gestured for Simone and Beth to follow.

The "office" was anything but; an elaborately decorated foyer boasting a wide staircase. The cherry red rug stood out against the gleaming oak finish. A hallway leading to the rear of the building held paintings and photographs of several Chinese men and women, all well dressed and displaying various airs of importance.

The stocker led the way up the stairs and down another hallway to a set of double doors. He opened them both with a flourish and stepped inside, speaking in Chinese to someone just out of view for a minute until he turned and gestured for the women to enter.

The room was sparsely furnished. Chairs were non-existent. Instead, several large pillows on a plush, circular rug sat in the center of the room. A foot high, pentagon-shaped table rested on the floor in the middle of the setup.

At the far end, a woman of diminutive stature stood in front of a table of regular height where three flat screen monitors rested displayed various news broadcasts. Her long, black hair reached almost to the small of her back, tied neatly into a ponytail.

She turned and smiled at the two women. Her face held a youthful appearance. "Welcome, ladies." Her voice was strong, immediately commanding respect. She pointed at Simone as she said, "Please wait outside. It seems this young one and I have much to discuss."

Simone glanced at Beth briefly before nodding and exiting the way she had come as the woman stepped over to the rug. "If you don't mind removing your shoes, please."

Beth complied, setting her footwear by the door. Together, both women lowered themselves onto the rug while the stocker walked in with a tea tray. Setting it on the table, he bowed and quickly exited, closing the doors behind him.

"It's been a long time since I've had any dealings with Josef Kostan," the woman said. She leaned forward and reached for the teapot on the tray in front of her. "So forgive me if I'm a bit wary as to why he's reaching out to me today."

The woman poured tea into the decorative cups resting on the tray beside the pot. She sat it down and handed one to Beth. "So. What is the purpose of your visit?"

Beth held the cup in her hand, not taking a sip to drink. "I'm sorry. We just met and all. What is your name?"

The woman stared hard at Beth for a long moment, causing her to regret asking the question. She started to apologize but a smile graced the woman's features. She gave Beth a nod of approval.

"You have obviously been around our kind for some time. I can see some fear, but it's fear mixed with respect. Rarely do I see that in a person I've met for the first time. Especially a human. I like that." She settled her eyes on Beth once more. "My name is Sya Lin Wen. I am nearly five hundred years old."

Beth nodded and finally took a sip of her tea. She savored the sweet peppermint flavor. "Miss Wen, Mr. Kostan sent me to speak with you because he felt you may be able to help him."

Wen laughed. "Help Kostan? Why would he think that? We haven't talked in over forty years."

"Because he knows that the vampires follow an unwritten code here, and that there are consequences if one does not adhere to it." Beth leaned in close. "He respects your position here in Los Angeles and hopes that by coming to you, he will have your support as he works to correct the problem."

Wen started to speak, but noted the seriousness in Beth's expression. She sighed and rubbed her chin with her right hand, muttering in Cantonese for several seconds. "What did he do now?" she finally whispered.

"Josef was caring for a woman in New York whom he had attempted to turn sixty years ago. A vampire named Malcolm Rehnquist recently contacted Josef. Gave him the impression that the woman was in danger and that if Josef didn't turn over another vampire … the woman would die."

Beth fell silent and looked down at the tea in her clasped hands in her lap before continuing. "Rehnquist wanted Josef to turn over to him his best friend, who just so happens to be a vampire, and my boyfriend."

Wen's eyes widened in surprise at the revelation as Beth who continued to look down at her hands in silence. "What is your boyfriend's name, my dear?"

Beth looked up into Wen's face. "Mick. Mick St. John."

Wen smiled. "St. John? I've heard of him. Very young vampire. I believe he and Kostan have been friends for several decades. I didn't care for his lack of gratitude into the life Coraline Duvall gave him all those years ago, but I've come to learn that sometimes a gift really isn't a gift if it isn't wanted."

Wen sighed and rose to her feet and walked over to the monitor table. "It doesn't matter. What does matter is that Kostan committed an unspeakable crime by betraying his friend. I don't know how I can help him."

Beth finally looked up. "Miss Wen, I totally agree with you. I … was there when Mick was taken. And even though I hate Josef for what he did, I understand _why_ he did it. And Mick understands as well. He wouldn't want Josef punished for this."

She walked over to Wen. "I came here with every intention of being honest with you. Josef … gave Mick up to Malcolm Rehnquist in order to save the woman. But now he's in danger. Josef asked us to ask for your help on his behalf. I'm not going to pretend I know what that help entails, but it would be greatly appreciated."

Wen slowly turned to face Beth, marveling at her boldness. She smiled, cupping the human's face with one hand. "You would make an excellent vampire. I guess it's the human nature in you. Have you and St. John ever spoke of you joining our ranks?"

Beth fought the urge to step back from Wen's grasp. "The discussion came up once. We prefer to figure how we can work as we are _now._ "

Wen regarded Beth for a moment. "I will enjoy hearing the conversation if it comes up again." Her hand fell from Beth's face. "The assistance I will render is simple. I will see to it that no vampire here in Los Angeles will touch so much as a hair on Kostan's head, but you two need to keep up with what you're doing and find St. John as quickly as possible. I can do but so much."

"Whatever can be done would be greatly appreciated." Beth bowed her head slightly in respect and turned to walk where her shoes rested.

"I would definitely hurry, Miss Turner," said Wen. "Magnus McClane is an old softie, so I know I can hold him off for a while, but his patience isn't like our immortality."

Beth turned back to Wen in shock. "You know about McClane?"

"I was the one who got him the preseason tickets for yesterday. He told me. I was all in for going after Kostan when I heard what he did. Then you came here and told me _why_ he did it. It was still wrong, but I respect it."

Wen hastened over to Beth and cupped her face once again. "I wish you good fortune in finding your beloved, and may you find him with haste."

#

Simone sat behind the wheel of her car when Beth opened the passenger door and slid in. She turned in her seat, an anxious look on her face. "Well?"

Beth reached down to adjust the straps on one of her shoes that did not want to cooperate. "Well, the good news is we might have caught a break. Miss Wen said she'll put the word out to the vampires here to give Josef some more time to make this right."

Simone shrugged. "So, we went from "forty-eight hours" to "some more time." Personally, I rather the forty-eight hours. At least I'll know when my head's going to get chopped off."

Beth looked down to examine her footwear."Considering the fact that Magnus McClane had already told her what had happened, I am very appreciative of "some more time," believe me."

"Wait, what? She knows?"

Beth nodded, turning to look at the store. Her eyes averted up for some reason, and she saw Wen staring down at her from an upstairs window. She tapped her wrist as if indicating a watch.

"An extra day, extra hour, I don't care, Simone. We can't stop what we're doing until we find Mick." She looked back over at Simone.

"We need to go out of the box on this."

#

 _The ray of morning sunlight shining through the window blinds woke him from a deep slumber. His right hand automatically went up to protect his still shut eyes, knowing the sun would be harmful if he opened._

 _The motion stopped even before it started, for something was preventing him from lifting his arm. Sensing the heat from the sunlight was not dangerously hot, he finally opened his eyes._

" _It's about time."_

 _His eyes locked onto the reason that prevented him from lifting his arm. A blonde, blue-eyed reason nestled in the crook of his arm, her chin resting on his chest. She smiled as her finger lightly touched his lips. "I thought you were going to sleep all morning. Which is understandable, considering what we did."_

 _He stared back at her, eyes widened in puzzlement as his free hand reached over to run through her hair. "What … what are you doing here?"_

 _She laughed. "I thought we both made that clear last night."_

 _That was when he finally realized their nakedness underneath the silk sheet covering their intertwined bodies. "Obviously we had a good time," he stammered._

 _She slid down his chest and turned her body around until she could look up at the ceiling. "I couldn't wait until the reception was over," she said as she held her left hand up above her face. "I felt like I was going to die. Everyone watching our every move, hovering over us every second. If it wasn't for Josef and Sarah getting caught having sex in the bathroom, I wouldn't have been able to kiss you even once without someone clapping or saying, "awwww."_

 _The light reflecting off of the five carat diamond on her ring finger nearly blinded him. He lifted his left hand to shield his eyes and noted the platinum band similarly placed. "It did seem like we were getting crowded over. Thank God Josh and Allison got us the hotel room to sneak away to."_

" _I didn't want to stay in the villa until tonight anyway, so Ben and Alex should be cleared out before the time we can check in." She yawned and sat up, holding the excess of bed sheet over her. "Speaking of which, what time are we due to meet Josef?"_

" _Five. Which gives us plenty of time to go by your apartment and pick up whatever you forgot."_

 _She looked over her left shoulder to give him an indignant look. "I didn't forget anything."_

 _He clasped his hands behind his head and smiled at her in silence until she playfully slapped his bare chest. "I hate you."_

 _At that, he sat up and grabbed her by waist, flinging her over onto the bed and throwing himself on top of her body. She struggled futilely within his grasp, laughing hysterically as he stretched her arms toward the headboard and looked deep into her eyes._

" _I love you, Beth Turner."_

 _Beth stared back._

" _I love you, Mick St. John."_

#

Malcolm Rehnquist smiled as he took in the surroundings. "I am impressed, David," he said. "Where did you find this place?"

"My sister found a case St. John worked that required him to find and escort a federal witness back to Los Angeles." David Oxford tugged at his shirt collar, stained with sweat. "Somehow he and the witness ended up in this same abandoned hotel. The mole inside the district attorney's office relayed the information to a contract killer and tracked them here. Somehow St. John took him down."

"Yes, this here is definitely off the beaten path," Malcolm proclaimed. "But suited for our taste. Where is he?"

David led Malcolm outside the hotel room. The noon sun beamed directly overhead, forcing him to quickly shield his eyes. Malcolm stared down at his friend and clasped a hand on his shoulder. "Did you rig a room up with a cooling unit?"

David nodded as he opened the door to the room next door. "Yes, but Lucas said there's not enough power here to power it for more than one of us. I'm surprised this place even has power, to be honest."

"Then both of you need to head back to the city," said Malcolm. "I'll watch over our two guests until tonight."

David gave him an uncertain look. "Are you sure, sir? I don't mind -"

Malcolm stepped past David into the room. Garbed in a lab coat, Doctor Ian Ellis stood in front of a large chair, adjusting the armrests' wrist straps on a bloodied, battered Mick St. John. His ankles were similarly bound.

"I think I'll be just fine," said Malcolm, glancing back over his shoulder at David who stood in the doorway. "I need you fresh. Be back here around seven, and take Lucas with you."

Once David closed the door behind him, Malcolm stepped close and held Mick's head up by his hair. Shirtless, Mick's skin was a grayish white color, soaked with perspiration. His milky white eyes stared back at Malcolm with an almost lifeless glare.

"A week of starving him, followed by a week of beating him senseless worked for you, Doctor?"

Ellis nodded. "It definitely made him more submissive to the concoctions your people sent me from Paris," he said. He held out a intravenous bag to Malcolm.

"I'm using a combination of your drugs and what I did to bring Miss Whitley back from the dead. Thanks to the instructions Claudia forwarded, I believe I have him almost ready for you to talk to."

Malcolm released Mick's hair, causing his chin to fall gracelessly to his chest. "Has he said anything?"

"Nothing that really made any sense, except for one thing. He kept repeating "I love you, Beth," for about a hour. Do you know anyone by that name?"

Malcolm almost smiled.

"The name does _sound_ familiar."

#


	6. Chapter 5

_Chapter Four_

 _Whiskey Girl_

Beth picked up a plate and passed it over to Allison. "Sorry for standing you up last night. I was slammed at work and couldn't get away."

Allison shrugged as she reached into the pizza box resting on the coffee table. "I want to say, "You need more than that weak ass apology," but this pie you bought is a great start. Extra large with sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, green olives, and bacon. You remembered."

Beth laughed as Allison slid two slices onto her plate. "You're easy to shop for."

The two women sat on the couch in Beth's apartment with plates of pizza on their laps and glasses of wine. Beth took a bite of hers and closed her eyes in disbelief. "I am in love."

It was Allison's turn to laugh. "Can't go wrong with Anatoly's." She took a bite herself and savored the taste before looking over at her host.

"I know this is apology pie and all, and I do appreciate it. Believe me. But your phone call sounded like there's something else, Beth. And looking at you, you're not yourself. It's like you have this weight on your shoulders or something. What's wrong?"

Beth stared back for a long minute before placing her plate on the table. "I need your help in finding someone."

"Who?"

Beth took a deep breath. "Mick."

Allison leaned back in surprise. "Mick? I was about to ask you about him. I haven't seen him since I moved here."

All business, she placed her plate on the table. "How long has he been missing?"

"A little over three weeks now."

"Three weeks? Beth, first rule of finding a missing person is the search usually starts shortly after the person is declared missing. Not three weeks later." She gave an exasperated shake of her head. "You're not making this easy already."

"What if I told you that I know your boss, Alexandra Sanders, met the person the day he took Mick? Would that help?"

Allison considered the question. "It would. Especially if the guy came into the offices. We have cameras in the lobby, reception, and common areas. If she hadn't ran a facial recognition profile already, we can use that as a basis."

She dug into her back pocket and pulled out her phone. "I'm sending a text to one of the girls at reception. What is this character's name?"

"Rehnquist. Malcolm Rehnquist."

Allison's eyes darted up from the screen. "I remember that name. Alex told me the story about him. She was pissed because he came into the offices pretending to be a Fed. He was the one who took Mick?"

Beth nodded.

Allison continued her message on her phone. She received a confirmation beep a few seconds later before setting it on the couch beside her with a satisfied sigh. "Kate is going to check our security protocols. She's said to give her a half-hour, which I think is plenty of time to talk about something else while we wait. Kidnappings are depressing."

The conversation steered back to pizza and wine, along with Allison's recent trip to Japan. "Hayley said she already has a team put together to go over there, but I'm on the short list because of tenure. So, not knowing when I'll be able to go back, I made a killing when I went out shopping."

Beth finished her glass of wine and reached for the bottle. "I seem to recall someone purchasing me a robe. Where is it?"

Allison jumped to her feet. "It's in the car. I'll go get it."

Beth took a sip of her wine while Allison moved to the door. She set her glass down and loaded her plate with two more slices of pizza. Noting Allison's glass and the bottle was empty, she rose and went into the kitchen where her wine rack rested on the counter. Choosing a white wine, she reached for the wine opener sitting by the sink.

She was almost done twisting the corkscrew in when the door opened and close. "I hope you like the white wine," she said, popping the cork out of the bottle. "One bottle of merlot is enough for me for one night."

"I appreciate the thought," a somewhat familiar voice replied. "I'm more of a whiskey girl myself."

Beth looked up from her work and noted Allison standing in the living room, a small plastic bag in her hand. "Beth," she breathed.

Beside her, a woman with red hair pulled into a long ponytail draped over her shoulder turned from the coffee table to face her.

"It's nice to see you again, Miss Turner," said Alexandra Sanders. "I believe we both have an common interest in Malcolm Rehnquist that we need to discuss."

#

 _He exited the taxi cab, thanking the driver before closing the door. Picking up his seabag from the sidewalk where he had deposited it, he proceeded up the walkway to the front porch steps of the Victorian styled house. Taking them in two bounds, he rapped his knuckles lightly on the screen door._

 _Several seconds passed before he could hear a set of unsteady footfalls approach. A young male, late twenties and balancing himself against an arm crutch appeared from a side hall and made his way to the door._

" _I always said I wondered when my old Army buddy and best friend would come visit, and here he is," he said, pushing the door open to admit the visitor. "How was New York?"_

" _They are loving returning G.I.'s, that's for sure." He stepped inside and dropped his seabag on the hardwood floor before giving his friend a back slapping embrace._

" _How are you, Ray?"_

 _Pulling back and reaching over to shake his elbow, Ray Fordham smiled._

" _Happy that you're here, buddy. Damn happy." Balancing his hand on the crutch, he reached down to grab the seabag from the floor and slung it over his free shoulder. "Go in the kitchen and grab yourself a beer, and head out to the back porch. I got your bag."_

" _You sure?"_

 _Ray pointed to the kitchen. "I can do cartwheels with this thing. Go."_

 _He obeyed, entering the kitchen and reached for a beer bottle settled amongst others in a large bucket of ice on the table. Popping the top with a bottle opener chained to the bucket's side, he took a healthy pull from it, savoring its cold taste. He took another sip before moving to the screen door leading to the back yard. His hand started to push it open but stopped, fingertips lightly brushing against the wood as he looked outside._

 _She sat on a wooden swing hanging from the tall oak tree in the yard. Her bare feet lightly brushed against the green grass as the swing gently swayed. The knee length yellow dress she wore stood out like a beam of sunshine, accentuating her shoulder length brown hair. Lilah was just as beautiful as she was when last he saw of her, holding one of the swing's ropes to balance herself._

 _Her other hand held a newborn baby in a protective embrace against her chest._

 _He was so in shock at the sight that he did not notice Ray's approach from behind. "She found out she was pregnant about two months after I made it back home," he said. "Considering how bad off I was, it was a miracle. An unexpected miracle."_

" _And then you disappeared. No letters, no phone calls, nothing. It didn't take a genius to guess what had happened while I was away, Mick."_

 _He waited several seconds before turning to face his friend. "Ray," he began._

 _Ray held up a hand to stop him. "Mick, before you say anything, I had a talk with Lilah already. She admitted everything. And you want to know something? I forgive you both."_

 _Ray looked down at his crutch for a second and chuckled softly to himself. "I was dead for months, Mick._ Dead. _And when I wasn't dead, I had no idea who I was. It might as well been said that the Ray Fordham you knew vanished from existence. It's true. You and Lilah believed it. Hell, you were there when we were ambushed. You barely made it out yourself. And you made your way here to my wife with no intention other than to comfort her because her husband, your best friend, was dead and not coming back."_

 _He looked past him at his wife who rose from the swing and began walking around in the yard, looking into the baby's face. "Why would I be angry at you? At Lilah? Why would I be angry at the fact that the two people I loved more than life itself fell in love with each other?"_

 _Lilah had walked over and lowered herself and the baby onto a blanket that rested on the grass underneath another shaded portion of the tree. "Robert was born seven months later. By then it was realized why we no longer saw you, and I understood and respected it. You stand here full of regret, but I want you to know one thing, Mick. It doesn't matter if that boy is yours or mine, or what happened between you and my wife. It's all in the past now. I've made my peace with it, my friend."_

 _Ray pulled him into an embrace. He returned it, holding it until they both burst out laughing._

 _The boisterous sound attracted Lilah's attention. She looked up from where she had laid her son on the blanket and saw her husband and his friend looking at her. She smiled in pleasant surprise and gave them an enthusiastic wave._

" _Come on, Mick." Ray pushed the screen door open with his crutch. "It's time you met your godson."_

 _#_

Alexandra Sanders nodded her thanks to Allison as she accepted the beverage from her. "After that son of a bitch snuck up into my offices pretending to be a federal agent, I spent a week and a bunch of unbillable man hours trying to find him myself."

She held the glass and gently swirled the ice and beverage with a finger. "I was about to give up on the whole thing, so you can't imagine how happy I was when I found out my new hire was inquiring about the same person. I was so happy that after I had Hayley ping Allison's phone for her location, I thought I'd rush over here and get an explanation for myself."

Sanders looked from Beth to Allison, sitting side by side on the couch. Receiving no reply, she finally took a sip of her drink. "Hmm. Thank you for the whiskey," she said. "Now, who's first? I'm dying to find out what's going on."

Beth held a hand out to Allison to prevent her from commenting. "I asked Allison to look into Rehnquist because … because he kidnapped someone."

Sanders' eyebrows raised slightly. "Really? Who?"

Allison answered before Beth could stop her. "A friend of the family. I just found out myself. Beth ran the name by me and I remember the story you told me while we were flying to Japan. I wanted to see if I could help."

Sanders leaned close, peering at Beth intently in silence. "I have no rules against my employees offering friends the services of my company to friends, Miss Turner. But I have to ask this: why isn't Mick St. John helping you? This seems like more in his wheelhouse."

"This is a personal matter, Miss Sanders," Beth answered, more quickly than she had liked. "I'd prefer if he wasn't involved."

Sanders slowly sat back in her chair and took another sip of her drink in reflective thought. "I want to share something with you two ladies. Since we're in sharing mode right now. The reason I asked why St. John wasn't handling this was because this Rehnquist character allegedly had evidence putting him at the Gemma Tejada murder scene this past summer."

Beth remained still, but Allison's mouth fell open slightly. "Tejada?"

"I know you were looking into him because he wanted your brother dead, Allison." Sanders knocked back the remainder of her drink in one gulp and placed the glass on the coffee table. "I'm still somewhat surprised that you didn't continue to pull on that thread."

Allison kept silent as Sanders turned her attention to Beth. "I was never convinced that St. John had anything to do with Tejada's murder, but it got me to thinking. Tejada's crew was implicated in trying to kill you at least once, and when they weren't able to get you, then they went for Josh Lindsey, the assistant district attorney. Allison's brother. Your boyfriend. It's no secret that St. John saved you the first time. He fought to save Lindsey. Everything he did has me wondering if he _did_ have something to do with Tejada's murder. If he did, I wondered if he also had anything to do with Ben Talbot's murder."

Beth hesitated in responding at first, noting a brief glimpse of sadness that fell on Sanders' features. The pause was enough time for her to rise to her feet and slip her hand in her jacket. "I had a couple of screenshots of Rehnquist printed before I came over," she said as she pulled several photographs from an inner pocket. "I don't know what you have planned, but if there's anything I can do to help, my company is at your disposal."

She dropped the pictures on the coffee table. Giving the two women a nod, she turned and made her way to the door. Before she opened it, she looked back at Beth.

"I didn't make it to where I am today without the skill of deduction, Miss Turner. I look at you and see nothing but sadness. You don't have to tell me why. I think I know. But I'll tell you this: I don't know why, but I don't think St. John had anything to do with Ben's death. Maybe Tejada's. If he did have anything to do with that _pendejo's_ murder, I have five words for that: an eye for an eye."

She opened the door and stepped through. Before closing it, she added over her shoulder, "So for what it's worth, I hope you find St. John."

Beth and Allison both looked at the closed door and each other in shock for what seemed like an eternity. "How does she know?" Beth finally queried.

Allison shrugged. "She's Alexandra Sanders. How could she _not_ know?"

#

Doctor Ellis held up Mick's right eyelid and shone a light into the pupil. He nodded in satisfaction and gently lowered Mick's head back to his chest. "He's ready," he announced, glancing behind him. "No matter how hard he fights, he should be susceptible to any command given, compelled to answer any question truthfully."

"Excellent, Doctor." Malcolm stepped from the dim corner of the room, looking down at Mick's stilled form. "Now, do me a favor and release him."

Ellis gave Malcolm an uncertain look. "Are you sure, sir? I'm sure about his mind, but not his strength."

"If a vampire doesn't feed after two to three days, he begins to feel the withdrawal." Malcolm pulled the strap free from Mick's right wrist. "With an average hundred-and-four degree day here, and the once-a-day beatings, that time is cut in half. He is in no condition to put up any kind of fight, believe me."

Ellis unstrapped the other wrist and stepped back. "Anything else?"

Malcolm shook his head while he slid a chair in front of Mick's. "Lucas will take you to our hotel in the city. You're to be back here by nine tomorrow morning."

When Ellis departed the room, he sat down in the chair, using the back to support his arms as he stared up at Mick. "Finally. Here we are. All alone. Now we can talk."

Mick remained silent. His breathing was labored. His eyes strained to open. "My family has been experimenting for decades to eliminate some of the weaknesses our kind inherits as a price of our existence. Fear of fire, fear of lead, fear of sunlight. Coraline and Lance are but two examples of our success. But you already know that."

He rose to his feet and circled Mick, running his hand across the back of his seat. "One of my associates came across this solution that's running through you now. It's a combination of a truth serum and a relaxant that is strong enough to weaken the immune system of any vampire. The wounds you have would have been healed by now if you fed and properly cared for. Instead, you're going on three weeks and they still look fresh."

As if more proof was needed, he ripped opened Mick's shirt, exposing the stake wound suffered the day he was taken. The hole still looked as if the stake was recently removed. "I admit, you're stronger than I give you credit for. I've experimented on twenty or thirty of our kind, tweaking the formula until it was just right. The longest anyone has lasted was five days. We started you on our mix a week ago. Doctor Ellis was kind enough to examine our concoction and add his own spin to keep you just on this side of life."

He reclaimed his chair and assumed his original position. "The truth serum bit, that was my own design. Strong enough to weaken the resolve of the strongest vampires. But this batch, I made especially for you. It's messing with your head right now. I know. You have been a mumbling fool since I walked in the door."

His tone grew serious as he continued. "We'll get into everything soon, I assure you. I wanted this to be special because we're kindred spirits, you and I. Bound once by a marriage to one of my own you claimed you once loved, but then hated because of the gift she gave you. You tried to kill her, you tried to kill her brother, you had him sent back to Paris in chains _like a dog!"_

Mick barely stirred, despite the fierceness in Malcolm's tone. Malcolm rose again, kicking the chair out of his way with such fierceness that it fell to pieces before it collided with the wall. He reached over and bodily snatched Mick's head up, leaning down until his lips brushed against St. John's ear.

"So I thought it's time for truth between us," he whispered. "Starting with the one question that I've been wanting to ask you for a while now. The one that might actually light a fire under you."

He paused. "What is Beth Turner to you?"

#

Coraline Duvall paced back and forth behind her desk at her flat, a secluded dwelling on the outskirts of Paris. Every time she glanced down at the screen of her laptop, she swore under her breath.

Ever since Josef called to tell her what Malcolm had done, she had searched the world over for him and Mick. Claudia Oxford, Malcolm's executive assistant in Paris, refused to divulge any details as to his whereabouts. Lance found out about her inquiries and simply laughed, the black orb for a right eye reflecting her growing despair.

She distracted herself by continuing her mission to perfect "The Mortal Cure," the compound that was created to revert any vampire back to a human. She herself successfully fooled Mick for weeks while under the effects of the compound, and would have lasted even longer if she was not "staked" by Beth Turner, who believed she was a vampire. The attempt caused her former friend, the late Cynthia Xavier Davis, to intervene by making her into a vampire again, saving her life.

In order to continue the process of perfecting the compound to a more permanent solution, she gained access to the manifest of materials, ingredients, and equipment necessary for its production as well as directing shipment from warehouses to laboratories all over the world.

Coraline only had a few projects that required her attention, so an order for ingredients for a serum mimicking the effects of sodium pentothal and a paralytic dose capable of weakening vampires easily caught her eye. But what filled her with dread was that instead of the order being delivered to the family's main lab in nearby Auvers-sur-Oise, directions were left to have everything shipped to a very familiar location in Los Angeles.

Coraline did not need to guess who was the recipient.

The decision to act was an easy one to make, but one she knew she must act on with care. Malcolm's group of associates, led by Claudia, were loyal to a fault. Even though she and her twin brother David were not sired by Malcolm, Coraline knew they held more favor in his eyes than she and Lance ever could.

Reaching a decision, she reached for her cell phone resting by the laptop and dialed a number. Seconds later, a man answered. " _Belle Fleur*._ What can I do for you?"

Coraline glanced down at the laptop again. "I need your help."

*Belle Fleur (French) - Beautiful Flower

#


	7. Chapter 6

_Chapter Five_

 _Life Choices_

Logan took the screenshot from Beth and nodded with approval. "Nice," he said. "Very nice. Alex Sanders must have some of the best security cameras in the world to pull off this kind of resolution."

"Allison thinks so." Beth played with the buttons on a Rock Band guitar resting on the computer desk beside Logan. "She believed Sanders has people on site who probably designed and manufactured them."

"I should go back into the files Mick was able to download the first time he was there and check." Logan spun his seat around to face her. "Those designs are probably crazy."

Beth gave him a hard look. "Focus, Logan."

"Just joking." Logan chuckled as he placed the screenshot in a scanner and turned back to his keyboard. "Give me a second to get this scanned in. So, what went down with Madame Wen?"

Beth gave a brief detail of the meeting she had with the Chinatown vampire. "I basically got an extension. A _small_ extension, but I'll take it. And I think I almost got recruited."

Logan stopped typing and glanced over his shoulder. "Recruited?"

"Well, not recruited. But she did say that I would make a nice vampire." Beth sat down beside Logan. "I guess I've been at this with Mick, Josef, and you guys for so long that your world really doesn't surprise me anymore."

He gave a sarcastic snort as he plugged a flash drive into a docking port and typed in a command. "Really? Hold my beer. A lot of vampires have travelled far and wide for Madame Wen's cuisine."

Beth gave him a perplexed look. "What? Wait. I thought you don't eat food."

"No, but we do drain the blood from living things, or drink it like how Mick and a bunch of us do." Logan sat back in his chair with a reminiscent look on his face. "But Madame Wen? She has a way of adding flavor without going through all that."

Beth shook her head, clearly confused. "But … how?"

"Well, remember when you brought your boss's cat here after she was killed? It usually starts like that."

It took several seconds for Beth to realize what he was alluding to. Her mouth gaped open. "Gross, Logan! Cat cuisine?! Are you serious?! And at a _Chinese restaurant!_ Oh my God!

Logan maintained a blank expression for as long as he could before bursting in laughter. "If you can see your face now," he said, pulling the flash drive out and handing it to her.

"Got the picture scanned in, so maybe you can get your cop buddies to use their systems to do some facial rec. I'll do what I can but since I hacked those street lights snatching Emma Monaghan, I'll be covering my tracks more than actually doing any kind of work."

Beth nodded and slipped the drive into her pocket just as her phone buzzed. She pulled it out and thumbed the screen on. "Ugh. My assistant just texted me about our staff meeting tomorrow morning. I have to get home and get my notes together."

Logan watched her move to the stairs. When he felt she was almost to the top, he yelled, "Can you bring me some takeout tomorrow?"

"Shut up!"

#

Josef fumed in the back of his limousine. He looked out the window at the building he was parked in front of several times, shaking his head. Adrian sat beside him, regarding his superior carefully.

"Sir? Are you alright?"

Josef snapped his head around to glare at him. "No, Adrian, I am not alright. I am over four hundred years old. I have dined with congressmen, presidents, prime ministers, ayatollahs. I lost count of how many bodies I threw in the Potomac after Lincoln's assassination. My life is known for refinery."

He opened the door and stepped outside. Adrian exited the other side and quickly circled around to stand beside his employer as Josef held his hands up in exasperation.

"Why in everything that is holy would I be caught dead in there?"

At least a hundred motorcycles of various models were parked in front of a two-story bar. Dozens of men and women, most wearing leather vests signifying memberships to different clubs milled about outside, drinking and having boisterous conversations in groups Women in bikinis stood behind ice tubs selling beer and other beverages. Floodlights staged on top of the building illuminated a twenty-foot long stage where a five piece band belted out a cover of a rock ballad.

Josef took in the scene in disgust. Then he looked down at his attire. "At least I went on and changed into some jeans. Wait here for me, Adrian. If I'm not back in twenty minutes, call the Cleaner and her crew. Place might need some exterminating."

"Gladly, sir."

Josef way his way through the throng to the opened double doors of the bar. Inside, more bar patrons sat eating and drinking, or conversing with the bartender, a blonde female wearing a black tank top two sizes too small in the right areas.

He glanced around the small bar until he finally saw who it was he was looking for. He walked over the table and grinned. "When you said to meet you here, I prayed that you were joking. I should have known better."

Sarah Whitley looked up and smiled from behind her beer bottle. "I seemed to have remembered you aren't fond of places like this. Figured I'd take you out of your comfort zone. Have a seat."

Josef slid onto the barstool on the opposite side of the table, waving away a waitress who began to make her way over. "Sarah, you are rich. You are so rich, it's sickening. Why would you come to a biker bar?"

Sarah leaned over the table. "You see that couple over by the bar? The two with the bandanas on their heads."

Josef glanced over his shoulder at the middle age man and woman sitting side by side near the bar corner. "Last night, they told me about how their son was killed in New York on 9/11 at the World Trade Center. He left behind his wife and son who was barely a year old. They're leaving tomorrow to go to New York and watch him graduate from high school. He's going to join the Army and be a Ranger like his father."

She pointed at a clean shaven man sitting by himself in a corner of the bar. "That guy started here years ago as a cook. Business tripled when they added on the bike shop. He saved enough money and bought into both the bar and the shop. He now has five bars across California."

Sarah's gaze bore deep into Josef's eyes. "Each person has a different story. Some good, some bad. Some will make you laugh until you are all over the floor while others will make you want to cry."

She finished her beer and held it up for the waitress to bring another. "I come here for the stories, Josef. It's better than what your internet, television news channels, or newspapers have to offer."

Josef waited until the waitress replaced the beer. "I'm sorry. It's just that … you just _bought_ a winery. Have you even sample some of the stock?"

"I haven't had a chance. I've been so busy. I was suppose to go tomorrow but I was invited to some sort of ball."

"The California Correspondents' Ball. I scored an invite as well."

Sarah smiled. "I'm heading out the day after tomorrow for a few days. Ceremonial signing of the paperwork, all that. Simone is coming with me. I hope you don't mind."

Josef grinned. "As it's Whitley Development business, I hope she's sending _you_ the bill. Of course I don't mind … on one condition."

"What is it?"

"That you allow me to escort you."

Sarah briefly considered the request. Finally she said, "That's it? Just escort me? No strings attached?"

He shrugged. "Well, maybe one."

#

Coraline followed two men down into the basement of a fish market several blocks from her flat. One of the men knocked on a closed door in a rhythmic pattern. The door opened three seconds later. She stepped inside confidently, smiling at the woman as she walked past and stopped in front of a desk almost completely covered with currency from numerous parts of the world.

Behind the desk, a young man wearing a visor turned backwards sat in a high back leather chair. He gestured to Coraline and shot up to his feet.

"I have to admit to you right now, this isn't my best work. But when you give me three hours to get everything prepared, there is bound to be a slip up somewhere." The man hastily tossed several documents in a wrinkled brown envelope and held it out to Coraline.

"It's important that the passport passes scrutiny, Tucker." She took the envelope and peered inside while her hand reached into her jacket for a zipped deposit bag. Satisfied with the envelope's contents, she tossed the bag to Tucker.

"Eighty is in that bag. I hope the additional twenty I put in will ease my concerns?"

Tucker unzipped the bag and quickly glanced inside. He zipped it shut and tossed it to the woman who stood beside a filing cabinet. "Yeah. It should do its job. Just don't make a sudden stop anywhere other than where you intend to go. Speaking of which, where are you going?"

Coraline gave a tight smile. "I'm also paying for your silence, Tucker. So let's stop with the questions, shall we?"

A minute later, she stood outside the fish market and hailed a taxi. One appeared and pulled up beside her within seconds. She slid into the backseat and tapped her hand on the divider.

"de Gaulle Airport."

#

Doctor Ellis opened the door and entered his makeshift lab, expecting to see the vampire he treated torn to pieces by the formidable Malcolm Rehnquist. The broken chair he stepped over was a telltale sign.

So it shocked him to see Malcolm leaning against the far wall while St. John sat in the chair. His restraints were back around his wrists and ankles, but the light snoring gave him the appearance of being asleep instead of tortured.

He sat his bag beside a computer tablet on a small table by the door. "I trust last night was uneventful?"

Malcolm pushed himself off the wall and picked up his jacket from the floor. He made his way over to the table and retrieved the tablet, pausing only to smile at Ellis.

"I think informative is the correct word."

#

Beth looked up from her laptop. "You have got to be kidding me."

Faith shook her head in the negative. "You have been cordially invited to the Sixteenth Annual California Correspondents' Ball. Tonight, eight o'clock at the Sarah Whitley Memorial Arena. Black tie and evening dress preferred."

"Faith, this email is almost two weeks old." She turned her laptop around so her assistant editor could see the screen. "And you forwarded this to me this morning."

"Yeah, well I forgot about it. I was planning to go, but then I remembered that's why I have a boss for these kinds of things."

Beth shook her head. "Faith, I wish you could have let me know about this a while back. I have a lot on my plate right now."

"I'm sorry. Everyone from the partners to our vendors are still catching up with the changeover, so that's why it was sent to me instead of you." Faith sighed. "You're right. I should have gave you some notice. I'll bite the bullet for you and go. Besides, I think it's open bar."

Beth chuckled in spite of herself. "No. I appreciate the offer, but I'm in charge of _BuzzWire_ now and for me to make this a reputable newsworthy offering, I have to get out there. "

Faith smiled. "Look at it this way: you can network tonight. Get out there, hand out your business cards and you're out of there in thirty minutes to a hour. And … it's open bar."

#

The History Cigar Bar's waiter smiled as he set the shot of whiskey on the table beside Alexandra Sanders. "You're up here early. Meetings this afternoon, or you're done for the day?"

Sanders shrugged as she held up the glass and drained its contents in one gulp. "I don't know, Oscar. I'm trying to make my mind up. While I do that, can I get a glass of my private bottle? And a cigar?"

"Right away." Oscar swept up the empty shot glass and stepped away as Sanders' phone vibrated on the armrest beside her hand. She pressed the button to accept the call. "What's up, Hayley?"

Hayley Simms, her senior investigator, sounded excited on the other end, a rarity for her. "Seems like either L.A.P.D. is in on the Malcolm Rehnquist sweepstakes, or Beth Turner has friends in high places."

"I'm betting the latter."

"Well, either way, someone got a birthday present over there and are playing with it. They ran the screenshot through their facial recognition algorithm and got a hit. Rehnquist snuck into town about three hours ago."

Sanders sat up straight in her chair. "Thank you for talking me into letting you hack the police. Do you have a general idea from what direction?"

"Running through a list of possibles and bouncing them off of any connections with St. John and the L.A.P.D. right now."

"Have a tactical team standing by. Ten, twelve should be fine. I'll be there in about twenty minutes." She disconnected the call and set her phone aside as Oscar came back with the wine and cigar balanced on a tray.

"Looks like my afternoon may be tied up after all," she said in an apologetic tone, sliding a fifty-dollar bill on the tray. Picking up the wine glass, she took a sip and set it back down before reaching for her phone and handbag.

Oscar gave her a questioning look. "Your cigar?"

Sanders gave it a cursory glance before heading for the exit.

"Keep it. Those things will kill you."

#

Allison gazed at her computer screen, wondering when 5pm was going to hit the clock. Hayley had announced earlier that she had nothing for her or the rest of the team, so they were left to their own devices for the afternoon, which was the norm if Alexandra Sanders was going to be off site for the day. Some had already left, while others were downstairs in the armory. Being the most junior member of the investigation team, she did not feel it would be proper to depart on her own without specific permission, despite the lack of supervision.

Hayley, her superior, remained in her office after she made her announcement for about an hour before suddenly rushing out with her phone to ear towards the cyber tech lab. Allison and Reneé nearly had to jump out of her way to avoid a collision.

Allison remained at her desk for another hour, fighting the urge to check her Facebook page when her desk phone rang. She saw Simms' name on the screen and picked up the receiver. "Lindsey."

"Allison, can you come to my office, please?"

"OTW." She hung up and made her way to Hayley's office. The door was a quarter of the way open and she heard Hayley said, "St. John and the L.A.P.D. right now."

Allison pushed the door open the rest of the way. Hayley stood behind her desk with her cellphone in hand, nodding at her to enter. She dropped the phone in her hand and smiled. "Got a job for you. Since you're pretty much the only one on my team around within shouting distance."

"Happy to serve. What's up?"

Hayley bent down to key some instructions on her laptop. "I'm heading out with the tac team and the boss in a little while. We got a lead on this Malcolm Rehnquist character, but we need to find out where he's been hiding out. Chances are we find that -"

"And we find Mick St. John," finished Allison. "How can I help?"

"Stay on top of the cyber tech gang. They're correlating some leads right now, but Alex and I are leaving and she wants Rehnquist's head first. I can't be in two places at once, though I have tried."

Allison grinned.

"We have access to case files within the L.A.P.D. See if you can find a thread that will help us find St. John. A common thread. You got that?"

Hayley reached into her desk drawer and pulled out two pistols: a silver-plated .22 with silencer, and a military-styled 9mm. She slid the 9mm in her pants at the small of her back and dropped the .22 into her right boot, sliding her jeans leg over it.

"Anything you find, call me ASAP. Understood?"

Allison nodded as Hayley scooped up her jacket and exited her office. Allison followed suit, noting the executive offices were darkened and closed for the day. Reneé stepped out of the conference room and turned the lights off behind her. She gave Allison a small wave before heading up front.

"Must be closing time," she said, sparing a glance at the clock on the wall.

Five o'clock.

 _Damn._

 _#_

Beth stepped through the lobby doors into the concourse area of the arena, careful that the train on her black sequined gown did not catch on the door. She smiled and waved at several rival reporters standing to the side conversing amongst themselves, but moved on to the five-piece jazz ensemble playing on a circular stage in the center.

She started to look for an empty table just as a familiar face caught her eye. She stood alone at a corner of the long rollaway bar, sipping on a martini as Beth approached. "Harper. I'm surprised you're here."

The woman smiled, swinging her dark brown hair over one sequined shoulder. "Turner. The feeling is mutual. I thought you would be out on the streets tracking down St. John down yourself by now."

"We have some leads we're tracking now, and the FBI and the police are working on finding Rehnquist." Beth signaled for a bartender and pointed at Harper's drink. "And I found a way to buy some time."

"I heard. You got in touch with Madame Wen. I swear that woman can find a Playstation that's at least two generations ahead of the one that's currently on the market." She raised her glass in a toast. "I don't know what you said, but she did buy you some time. I wouldn't waste it, though."

Beth picked up her drink and turned to Harper. "You heard anything?"

"Only that Magnus contacted the cleaners in Detroit. They're a bit on the rough side compared to the ones here. I really don't want to deal with them. By the way. Is the one who dresses like Catwoman still around? I heard she'd make a straight woman go home and evaluate her life choices."

Beth sighed and started to reply but noted Josef entering the concourse, now a little more crowded since her arrival. "Excuse me. The subject of the potential beheading is here."

Harper whistled. "His neck is on the line, and he strolls in like there are no worries. Like he doesn't have a care in the world."

 _That's Josef Kostan for you,_ thought Beth as she made her way through the crowd to the couple. Josef turned at her approach and smiled. "Beth. I didn't expect you to be here. You look stunning."

"Josef," she said flatly. "I didn't go to Madame Wen to buy you a vacation."

"I know, I know. Logan's been keeping me updated. I've received a notice that no retaliation will come to me as long as suitable gains are made into finding Mick. We've made those gains." He glanced over his shoulder. "We can talk about everything a little later."

Sarah stepped in front of Beth just as she was about to give a stinging reply. "Beth! What a lovely dress! Where is the bar?"

#

Allison poured herself another cup of coffee and made her way back to her seat at the conference table. Her laptop and a computer tablet rested in her spot as she sat down. "Rehnquist was coming from the northeast when facial rec picked him up. Hook me up, guys."

To her left, security specialist Nate Cullen scrolled down a page in a folder with one finger. A twenty-year veteran of the police, Hayley once called him her "angel on the shoulder when Satan wants to do something bad." He looked over to her. "I don't know, but I might have something. Victorville."

Two seats down to Allison's right, cyber analyst Callie Stone looked up from a map of Los Angeles. "Victorville? I've seen several references about that location in the L.A.P.D. files. What do you have?"

"Case number 47239F, the people vs. Amir Fayed." Cullen slid the folder over to Allison. "I remember this guy. He had one of his own killed and then tried to kill the guy's girlfriend. Details of the case were sealed after that, but Josh Lindsey was the lead prosecutor."

Allison hurriedly scanned the documents in the folder, ignoring the fact that some of the handwriting belonged to her late brother. She found the data file corresponding with the folder and opened it on her laptop. "Bam. Here it is. According to this, Josh had a federal witness in protective custody who initially ran because Fayed had put a hit out on her. Somehow they found where she was hidden and killed the two cops on duty who were the protection detail, but she managed to escape. My brother hired a private investigator to find her and bring her back to Los Angeles because there was a mole leaking information out to the killer. He found out the witness bought a bus ticket to Victorville. The witness was found, but never made it to the city."

Callie slid over to look at the opened folder. "What are those letters there?" She pointed at two sets of initials written below the main body of text.

Allison glanced over at where she indicated and knew immediately what they were. "Those are the initials of the only other people my brother trusted with this case. One is missing. But Beth was there. Wherever _there_ is, she was there."

Nate and Callie stared at her as she pulled her phone out. "What are you talking about?" asked Nate.

Allison dialed Beth's number. "Nate, get a vehicle and a tactical package ready for me. I have to call her and find out what she knows."

#

"I swear to you, Beth. I had no idea Josef was bidding on the same property. My company wanted to start a foothold in California for years. Since I was here, I figured it was the perfect opportunity."

Sarah nodded her thanks to the bartender and picked up her beer bottle before turning to Beth. "I was never a beer drinker back … in New York. I guess beer is a lot better … here."

Beth grinned as she felt her phone vibrate in her clutch. She opened it and saw Allison's name on the caller ID. "Excuse me. I have to take this call from a friend of mine."

Sarah nodded and watched Beth step outside the arena. She glanced over and saw Josef in conversation with a man he had introduced earlier as the president of Hurst College. Josef looked over and smiled. She started to make her way to him, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Excuse me, Miss Whitley." An arena usher gave her an apologetic look. "A gentleman from the law firm representing your interests is waiting for you. He said he has some documents for you to sign." He indicated the club level VIP boxes over her shoulder. "He came through the wrong door at the parking level, so security held him up."

"Then I'll go see him." She spared Josef one final glance. "Lead the way."

Sarah followed the usher around the corner to an elevator that stopped on the first level. They both stepped off and walked past several closed kiosks and food courts until the usher stopped at a closed door. "There's a guard across from here waiting. When you're done, you can make your way back to the elevator, and she'll make sure that he exits the arena."

The usher opened the door and Sarah stepped into the dimly lit corridor into the hosting area. The lighting from the arena illuminated the box seating area below and served to be enough light for her to quickly look around the area where she stood.

"I swear, Miss Whitley. You have definitely made a name for yourself in this city."

The familiar, deep voice made her heart skip a beat. Her eyes darted around the box in search for the voice's owner to no avail. She steadied herself and slowly took a step closer to the railing.

The twenty seats below were empty, saved one. Its occupant slowly rose from his seat and turned to face her, buttoning his jacket. "It's good to see you again, Sarah," said Malcolm Rehnquist.

Sarah forced herself not to run out of the box, knowing Malcolm could easily catch her even before she could make it to the exit. She smiled nervously. "You shouldn't be here."

He glanced over his shoulder briefly at the arena and the concourse at the far end before turning back to Sarah with a surprised look on his face. "Oh! You think I'm here … oh no! I'm sorry, Sarah! It was never my intention to scare you! I was actually here to see someone else, but I noticed you downstairs and just had to see you."

He quickly climbed the steps and grabbed Sarah's hand before she could even consider stepping back. "You look ravishing. Mortality certainly suits you," he whispered, his eyes locked onto hers as he pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed it.

"Uh, th- thank you," she stammered, pulling her hand away in an non offensive manner. "I appreciate it."

Malcolm straightened and gestured at the arena. "The California Correspondents' Ball. A who's who of all the television, print, and internet information sources in California today."

He turned back to Sarah. "You're probably right. I _really_ shouldn't be here," he said, chuckling softly.

Sarah said nothing as he slowly circled her. "I just wanted to let you know that Mick and I are growing to be the best of friends. He has told me so much over the past three weeks about his life."

"Well, from my understanding, there isn't a whole lot to go on that you shouldn't already know." She bravely looked up into his face. "He married someone in his family, she turned him, he tried to kill her years later."

"Oh, there's so much more, my dear. Believe me, there's _so much more._ " He stepped back to lean against the counter and crossed his hands in front of him. "But that's between me and him. Actually, I was hoping you could pass a message on for me to Magnus McClane for me."

Malcolm's mention of the Archivist's name startled Sarah. "Why?"

"Because I know that he is calling for Josef Kostan's head. Totally unnecessary. I orchestrated everything: your miraculous resurrection, Kostan's betrayal of St. John, your arrival here in Los Angeles. _Everything._ Certainly nothing that warrants Kostan's ashes, so I thought I would do this to save everyone some trouble."

He pulled a mircoSD card from his pocket as he walked back over to her. "I recorded all of my activities in a video which the Archivist's people can access and play at their leisure. It details everything, omitting your name, of course. I'm sure this should completely exonerate Kostan."

With some hesitation, Sarah took the small card. She eyed it for a few seconds in confusion, causing Malcolm to laugh. "I keep forgetting that you and technology are still becoming friends. Don't worry about it. Magnus McClane will take care of everything."

His gaze was diverted back down to the arena. "Well well, what do we have here?"

Sarah turned to look down at the concourse. The jazz band had stopped playing as nearly a dozen men and women dressed in military tactical gear burst in, weapons at the ready. A tall woman with long, red hair and brandishing a pistol followed close behind. "What's going on?"

She received no answer. A quick glance over her shoulder revealed that Malcolm was gone. Without giving it a second thought, Sarah bolted for the door as fast as her high heels could take her. Rushing past the startled guard who stood watch several feet away, she fled to the open elevator and pressed the DOWN button. Seconds later, she exited and quickly made her way over to where Josef was standing with the college president.

"Josef, what's going on?"

Josef started to reply but caught his breath. His eyes narrowed as his nostrils suddenly flared in her direction for a second. He started to reach for her but caught himself at the last second. "Who were you speaking to?" he whispered.

Before she could answer, the redhead female walked over, gracing Josef with a thin smile. "Josef Kostan. Funny. You don't strike me as a reporter."

Josef returned a somewhat forced smile. "You know me. I _am_ news." He gestured to Sarah. "Sarah, let me introduce you to Alexandra Sanders, president and founder of Sanders Securities, one of the finest private and corporate security firm's in California."

Sanders slid her pistol in a holster at the small of her back. "You flatter me. I'm glad you're here. I've been wanting to know how did you pull your return from the dead act last year, but I'm looking for someone. Let me show you something."

She whistled, and one of her associates stepped over with a small hand tablet. She held it out for both Josef and Sarah to see. "We got word that this guy was spotted entering Hurst's grounds an hour ago. Have either of you seen him?"

Both peered at an image of Malcolm on the screen. Josef glanced at Sarah for a second before shaking his head. "Who is he?"

"Someone who pissed a lot of people off in the city, myself included." Sanders handed the tablet back. "I have the whole city wired. He won't be able to go far."

A new voice answered. "I seen him a few minutes, Officer." Harper Ryan pointed to the arena ground equipment entrance. "He was outside smoking by a black Bentley sedan in staff parking."

Sanders nodding, snapping her fingers. Her armed associates quickly followed her down the corridor into the bowels of the arena. Josef watched them until they disappeared around a corner before snapping back to Sarah.

"He _was_ here, wasn't he? Why were you with him?"

"Oh calm down, Kostan. She had no more idea that Rehnquist would be here than you or I did." Harper finished her drink and rose from the nearby table where she sat. "And I don't think she's the reason."

Josef's expression hardened. "Maybe it would be best if you told me who you are, Miss … "

"Oh, sorry. I'm Ryan. Harper Ryan. Former reporter for _L.A. Story."_

She leaned in close so only Josef and Sarah could hear. "And I'm also associated with Magnus McClane, the Archivist."

At that, Josef nearly bared his fangs. Harper held her hands up in defense. "Calm down, calm down! I'm not here for you! Journalism is my first love, Mr. Kostan. That's my first, my _only_ reason for being here."

She looked around the concourse at the crowd, now slowly dispersing. "But there was one reason for _him_ to be here. The question is where is she."

#

The SUV proceeded down the highway fifteen miles over the speed limit. Nate navigated the vehicle while Caddie worked on her laptop from the passenger seat.

In the backseat, Allison watched Beth pull jeans on underneath her gown. "Remind me to pack another go-go bag when we get back. I figured you shouldn't have any problems fitting into my clothes."

"Yeah, thanks for the spare set. Unzip me?" Beth turned to face the door for Allison to reach over and pull the zipper down enough for her to begin shrugging out of the gown.

Allison sat back into her seat. "You know, we could have done this without you. Nate knows California like the back of his hand. We could have found this hotel with no problem."

Beth reached for a t-shirt and slipped it on. "No way. If Mick is out there, I need to be there. He … he might need me."

Allison's phone buzzed for attention. She picked it up and connected the call. "Lindsey."

"This is Simms. We're at Hurst College searching for Rehnquist. You found anything?"

"I have a lead. It may be nothing, but Nat, Caddie, and I are on the way to Victorville. Somewhere out there is a connection between St. John and a case he worked for my brother when he was the A.D.A. Beth Turner has been out there before, so she's with us as well."

There was a momentary pause before Hayley responded. "Probably not a good idea taking her along, but if she knows where to go, then follow it through. Keep me posted."

Allison ended the call and watched as Beth sent a text. "Ordering a pizza?"

Beth shook her head.

"Backup."


	8. Chapter 7

_Chapter Six_

 _Vampire Hospital_

Hayley Simms took her camouflage cap off and straightened her hair underneath as she reported to Alexandra Sanders. "This is a waste of time, boss. We need daylight and more men to lock this place down. I'm seriously just not feeling this right now."

Crossing her arms as she stood on the arena loading dock, Sanders sighed in frustration. "You're probably right. And if you ever repeat that, I will kill you."

Hayley mimed zipping her lips with her fingers. "Lindsey said she found a lead in one of the files we got from the L.A.P.D. that might lead us to where Rehnquist has been holed up. She has two of ours with her checking it out, and they are being assisted by Beth Turner."

Sanders' expression changed from frustrated to piqued. "Interesting. She would be somewhat familiar with some cases that Allison's brother had prosecuted. Allison probably saw that as well."

She came to a decision. "You and I are heading out there," she said. "Get a vehicle ready."

"I'll round everyone up," said Simms, pulling a handheld radio from her belt. "Sit tight."

Simms moved away to begin signaling the other members of her team as Sanders turned and headed back inside the arena through the open loading dock door. The area immediately inside was dimly lit, the only illumination coming from the concourse and the interior of the arena itself.

Several sets of large wooden containers were stacked to the side as she passed. She noticed them earlier as she walked outside, so she did not give them a second thought.

As she passed the last set, a large hand reached for her throat and snatched her off of her feet, slamming her bodily against the topmost container. Her head impacted hard, causing Sanders to see stars. She somehow maintained enough of her awareness to reach for a retractable baton attached to her belt. She swung it at her attacker's head, flicking her wrist to extend it simultaneously.

The baton connected with the assailant's skull. Whether it was the force or the surprise of the blow, it caused the grip on Sanders' throat to slacken slightly. Her feet fought to gain purchase on the concrete as she dropped the baton and pulled out her pistol.

Her assailant reared back, and threw her into the container again, clouding her vision in red, while another hand slammed into her right wrist, pinning it against the container so hard that she felt a sharp pain shoot along the radius and up her forearm. Miraculously, the pistol remained in her hand, but pointing out of harm's way.

Her cloudy vision cleared just enough for her to focus eyes on her attacker.

" _YOU!"_

Malcolm Rehnquist laughed. "Alexandra Sanders. All this for me? I'm find myself insulted."

Gritting her teeth as she fought to ignore the throbbing pain in her wrist, she squeezed the trigger several times. The shots echoed throughout the staging area and outside. Rehnquist made an inhuman sound as he tossed her at least a dozen feet away behind him like a discarded ball.

Her body impacted mercilessly with a plate-glass window. She went through it head first, destroying the closed blinds behind it, finally coming to rest on the carpeted floor in the midst of shards of glass.

#

Simms and two members of her tactical team stood several feet away as they watched medical personnel carefully place Sanders onto the gurney. One of them carefully inflated an air cast around her right forearm while the other entered the back of the ambulance for supplies.

The EMT attending to Sanders strapped a brace around her neck before stepping back and indicated for Hayley to approach. She did and looked down at her boss, wincing slightly at the number of cuts on her face. Her right eye was covered by gauze, and her bottom lip was swollen. "What's the damage?"

"Possible fracture of her right radius, right eye is lacerated, larynx is bruised, cuts and contusions covering most of her upper body, and possible concussion." The EMT slid his stethoscope into a cargo pocket. "She needs an X-ray and CAT scan at the hospital."

Simms looked down at Sanders and noted that her lips were moving, her voice barely audible. She bent down with her ear held close as she struggled to make out what she was saying.

After ten seconds, she straightened herself and grasped Sanders' left hand, and instantly gratified when the gesture was returned. "Hang in there, Alex," she whispered. "I'll get that bastard for you."

The EMTs slid Sanders into the back of the ambulance. Simms prepared to jump in with them, but the chirp on her handheld stopped her. "Acker to Simms, is your twenty still the loading dock?"

Simms pulled the radio off of her belt. "Affirmative, but I'm about to head to the hospital, Ack. What's up?"

"Negative on that. We have some guests, and they would like a word."

"Who?"

"L.A.P.D."

Simms sighed. "Copy that. Bring them my way." She turned to her operatives standing behind her as she slammed the door to the ambulance shut and slapped the side of it with her hand.

"Follow her to the hospital. Call in Black, Aiken, and Wallace. I don't want her out of your sight."

The two men nodded and raced to their vehicle parked nearby as the ambulance began pulling away. Simms looked up at the loading dock and saw Cody Acker leading Lieutenant Danielle Joyce and several uniformed policemen outside. She looked back at the departing ambulance before steeling herself for the long night ahead.

#

"Don't pin this on me, Josef," Sarah angrily declared, leaning forward in her seat in the back of the limousine. "I didn't know he was going to be there. It's not like I invited him."

"Oh, but you see, I can pin this on anyone I want. Comes with the fangs, the thirst for blood, the few centuries of experience I have on you." Josef shook his head, clearly agitated. "Malcolm Rehnquist has proven that he can get to any of us any time he wishes. What possessed you to run off alone like that?"

"I didn't know it was him up there! But I would think that after you see this, you would be happy I did!" She dug into her clutch bag and pulled out the microSD card. "What he gave me could possibly save your ungrateful ass!"

She threw the card at him. Despite its size and the lack of illumination in the vehicle, Josef easily caught it. He inspected the card, giving her a sidelong glance. "What is this?"

"A confession from Malcolm Rehnquist stating that he manipulated you into giving up Mr. St. John for me." She looked away from him. "Something to keep the other vampires from killing you."

The anger he was feeling slowly gave way to puzzlement as he held the card up closer. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. I truly am. But I … I lost you for sixty years, Sarah. Sixty years. I turned my best friend over to a deranged psychopath so that you would be safe. I would burn this city down to protect you."

He slipped the card into his jacket and stared out of the long, darkened window. "The last thing I want is for anyone to hurt you ever again."

Sarah covered her mouth in surprise. She quickly recovered and moved to sit beside him. He did not move, much less made note of her close proximity until she reached up and turned his head by the chin until their faces were inches apart.

"Finally, you show me the man I fell in love with all those years ago at that train station," she breathed.

#

Adrian pocketed his cell phone as he neared the limousine, frowning when he noted the driver standing several feet away from it. "Why aren't you ready to go? I've already called the house and told the staff to expect us."

The driver gave an embarrassed shrug, gesturing to the vehicle. "I was, sir. Then Mr. Kostan ordered me out of the car."

Adrian started to question him further, but his vampire hearing picked up the sounds of passion from the interior of the limousine. His eyebrows raised slightly as he turned back to the driver, who seemed even more uncomfortable and embarrassed.

Adrian pulled his phone out and dialed the house. "Ryder? It turns out we may be delayed."

#

 _He slowly navigated the stone pathway through the many headstone grave markers, and statues in the old cemetery, careful to stay as close as he could in the shade of the cluster of trees to protect his eyes._

 _His destination was a small headstone nestled together just a few feet away from the path. It was within reach of the shade of a large oak tree under which he stood as he examined the grave marker._

" _It was a nice service," a strong, male voice responded from over his shoulder. "A bunch of your buddies from the war showed up as pallbearers. One of them was kind enough to read my favorite scripture from the Bible. Oh, and that young girl who lived the street over who you took to the dance the night before you enlisted? She showed up with husband number four, I believe."_

 _The owner of the voice stepped up beside him, looking down at the gravestone. "I wish you could have been here, Mick."_

" _You know why I couldn't, Dad. But I think about you all the time."_

 _The elder St. John clapped a hand on the shoulder of his son. He was built like his son, with his gray hair cut short. "And I understood why every single day, son. Right up to the point where it was time for me to finally leave this world. I had a great life, but my one wish was that I had a chance to say a proper goodbye to my boy."_

 _He sighed and looked down at the gravestone. "I sense so much regret in you right now, son. It feels like the weight of the world is on your shoulders."_

 _The young man crouched down to brush leaves away from around the marker. "I've seen a possible future, a past that could have been, and now I'm here talking with my father who has been dead for over twenty-five years."_

 _He grinned up at his father. "No, nothing's wrong with me."_

 _The older man sighed. "You've always had a way of separating yourself from the pain. Unless it involves someone you absolutely love. Admit it. You sometimes don't think objectively when it comes to her."_

 _He did not receive an answer. "Maybe I have a way to fix that."_

 _#_

Allison lowered the night vision binoculars and slid her body around on the cliff to face Beth, Caddie, and Nate. "I see a little bit of light. Seems like the place has some power. Are you sure this is it?"

Beth nodded. "We were there for about three hours with the witness before Josh came with Carl Davis to escort us back to L.A."

Caddie looked out into the darkness. "Can we get this over with? I'm not feeling this at all."

Nate passed a pistol and two magazines over to Allison. "Here's the plan. Nate and I will approach from the sides, and -"

"Wait a minute." Beth held up a hand. "I think if we hold up and just wait, we'll be able to drive down without so much as getting a papercut."

Three pairs of eyes focused on Beth. "What are you talking about?" queried Nate.

"Remember when I said I called for backup?"

"Yeah." Allison looked back down at the hotel. "Where is this mysterious backup?"

As if on cue, Beth's cellphone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and thumbed the screen. Smiling, she held it out for Allison.

"They're already here."

#

The vehicle stopped close to a row of rooms down from the hotel main office. Beth could make out a black BMW sedan with tinted windows parked close by.

The four exited the vehicle with weapons drawn. Allison reached the sedan first and inspected it closely. "This vehicle was running recently," she whispered. "The engine's still warm."

Nate stood close by one of the doors leading into a hotel room. "I got movement."

Allison nodded, waving Beth behind her as she took a breaching position opposite of Nate at the door. She gave a three count with her fingers before Nate stepped back and kicked the door in. They quickly stepped inside, weapons at the ready clearing the room. Callie quickly followed them in.

Beth waited outside anxiously for at least two minutes until Allison stepped outside, her weapon not holstered but pointed at the ground. She gave her a perplexed look. "Uh, Beth, is your backup like a model or something?"

Beth gave her a sheepish grin. "Something."

Allison stared at her for several seconds before shrugging and slipped her pistol in its holster. "Well, I think someone is waiting on you. Go ahead."

Beth stepped past Allison into the lit room. Nate and Callie stood to the side, weapons drawn but not aimed at the Cleaner, attired in her usual matte gray outfit, sitting with her long legs crossed in a barber's chair. She glanced up at Beth's entry and gave her a smile. "Hello, Beth. It's wonderful to see you again. Thank you for your call."

Nate gave a low whistle. Callie slapped him on his arm.

Beth gave the room an anxious glance. "Is he here?"

The Cleaner rose and took Beth by the hand, leading her through the door to the bathroom. A small man with tousled brown hair sat in a corner. His hands were restrained with an extension cord.

"I believe he's some sort of doctor," the Cleaner said, pointing to a surgical bag on the bathroom sink. "He has all kinds of vials and items I'm not familiar with inside. I kept a few to examine."

Beth disregarded him with a wave of her hand. "Mick?"

The Cleaner smiled and stepped to the side. Beth gasped as she saw Mick resting in the ice-filled bathtub. His skin was a mixture of yellow, purple, and gray patches. A deep wound in his chest where the stake was driven in weeks ago was exposed, showing no opportunity of healing. His eyes remained closed as Beth knelt beside the tub, placing a hand on his forearm.

"I put him in the tub and got him covered with ice as quickly as I could, and I already gave him some blood I brought along with me," the Cleaner whispered, crouching beside her. "But I think they were experimenting with him somehow. We need to talk to this guy behind us to find out the extent of the damage."

Beth nodded, tears streaming down her face as she caressed Mick's face with one hand. "It doesn't matter." she whispered back, never taking eyes off of him. "He's safe."

#

After replacing the cord with handcuffs, Nate pushed his captive outside to the waiting vehicle. Callie was several feet away on her cellphone while the Cleaner secured Mick in the backseat with a seat belt.

Inside the hotel room, Allison circled the chair in the center of the room. "They had him here all this time for weeks. Probably drugging him. _Definitely_ beating him, judging from the wound he has in his chest."

She held up one of the wrist straps to the light. "Almost completely covered in blood. He might have started to fight whatever it was he was given, but eventually it weakened him."

Beth did not initially reply, instead watching Mick being attended to from the door. Satisfied that he was properly secured, she turned around. "With Rehnquist, there's no telling," she whispered.

"What was that?"

"Oh … uh, nothing. Nothing." She shook her head distractedly as she pointed to the doctor, visible through the open window and guarded by Nate. "What's going to happen to him?"

"That's what we're trying to find out now." Allison called outside. "Callie?"

Several seconds passed before Callie pulled the phone from her ear. The expression she wore on her face was mixed with worry and anxiety. "We have to get back to the city. Alex is in the hospital."

"What?!" Allison exclaimed. "How?"

"At Hurst College. Hayley said it was Malcolm Rehnquist who attacked her while they were looking for him. Her larynx was nearly crushed, and she has a broken wrist, plus cuts and bruises from being thrown through a window. She's in serious condition. Hayley is with her."

Allison rubbed her forehead. She assumed the leadership mantle since she discovered Beth's connection to the mysterious hotel in the middle of nowhere, and welcomed the chance to pass it to Hayley upon her arrival. Now, it seemed as if that would not be the case. "Okay. Here's what needs to happen."

They both headed for the vehicle, passing the Cleaner as she made her way to Beth. "The doctor's definitely been around some vampires," she said softly. "I can smell four different sets of decay on him as I was tying him up, counting Mick."

Beth did not take her eyes off of Mick, now resting peacefully in the car. "What are we going to do with him? We can't take him to a hospital. Unless … do you guys have a … _vampire_ hospital?"

The Cleaner laughed. "I contacted Guillermo. He'll meet us at Mick's apartment with everything we need. You just have to get rid of your friend."

Allison walked over with two bags over one shoulder and Beth's gown draped over her arm. "Nate and Callie are going to lock the doctor down at a black site Sanders Securities has in the city," she said. "I'll help get Mick into a hospital."

"Actually, Allison," Beth shot the Cleaner a glance. "Actually, I have Mick's private doctor coming to his apartment. He's not big on modern medicine practice. All Zen-like and everything."

She quickly reached for one of the bags and her gown. "I know you want to head over to check and see how Miss Sanders is doing. We can manage on our own. Trust me."

Allison gave her a doubtful look, but held a hand up for Nate not to depart in the SUV. "You sure?"

Beth gave an overly enthusiastic nod. "Go. We'll be fine."

"Okaaaaay." Giving the Cleaner a final nod, Allison turned and headed for the idling SUV. Within seconds, it spun out onto the darkened road in a southeastern direction.

The Cleaner gave Beth a nod of approval. "Have anyone ever told you that you would make a fine vampire?"

Beth walked over to the car and opened the back door.

"I think every other day."

#

David Oxford slowly walked through the empty room, staring intently at the empty chair in the center that, for nearly three weeks held in check his employer's most prized possession.

A prize that was now nowhere to be found.

He closed his eyes and allowed his vampiristic olfactory senses take over, detecting several new aromas that had entered the premises since they first arrived on the scene. He dismissed Dr. Ellis' foul stench, personally looking forward to disembowel the hematologist if Malcolm ever gave the word.

At least one aroma belonged the mysterious Beth Turner, St. John's human pet. Her scent he recognized from the day St. John was taken. Three other humans were on the site as well, causing David to wonder how many of them are aware of his kind.

The final scent opened his eyes wide. Could he be mistaken?

No. No mistake.

 _Vampire._

The satellite phone was in his hand immediately. He dialed the number and waited until the line was connected. "Yes?"

"Sir, we may have a situation."

#

Guillermo flicked the line from the IV to Mick's arm several times with one finger. "The best way to let a vampire get his fill of blood if he needs it … besides feeding of course, is intravenously. A few pints of some chilled A positive should do the trick."

Beth watched him work from Mick's desk. "Won't it hurt him? Giving him blood directly into his bloodstream? Don't you guys have blood types?"

Guillermo paused in hanging the plasma pouch from a tack in the wall to consider the question. "Well, yeah. Mick likes A positive. I prefer it, too, but with a touch of ... well, you probably won't like it."

Remembering Logan and his love for cats, Beth made a face. "What I was really thinking is that … maybe he'll heal a lot quicker if he had another blood type. A … _rare_ blood type."

Guillermo stopped his work when he realized what she was insinuating. He slowly looked up at Beth. "Let's stick with this for now," he said finally. "If it doesn't work, I'll check the stiffs we have at the morgue and see what they got."

Beth nodded, reaching for her cellphone. "Well, I didn't think I would be saying this, but I better call Josef and tell him the good news. This will be the first time in almost a month I can have a conversation with him without having an attitude."

The Cleaner sat in a chair by the bookcase as she entered the apartment, now dressed in a black silk blouse and pants. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders as she typed on a laptop.

"I found out the identity of our mysterious physician," she said. "Ian Ellis. He is a hematologist out of New York. Or _was,_ anyway. Since 2005, he has been suspended for some rather scrupulous practicing there. Obviously it caught a certain vampire's eye."

"New York?" Beth sat down on the couch, piecing the puzzle together in her head. "It was him. He's the one. He somehow was able to wake Sarah up from her coma."

"It seems likely. He claimed to have made strides in curing several diseases. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't a fan of trial runs or other legalities in his practicing that would have held up his research for years." She held up a vial of blood and a vial of clear liquid she had taken from Ellis. "I had Guillermo draw some blood from Mick. We need to get it and this vial I took from Dr. Ellis checked out."

Beth processed the information. "You take care of that. I need to see Josef." She rose to her feet. "He needs to hear this."

The Cleaner nodded and closed her laptop. "I think I'll come along for the ride."

Beth shook her head. "I appreciate everything that you have done tonight. But I need you to watch over Mick for me. For this to truly be over and done with, he needs to be safe. You, Logan, and Guillermo are the only ones I trust."

The Cleaner considered the request as Beth put on her jacket. "Very well," she finally said. "But you be careful. You play a role in all this as well. Nothing must happen to you."

"Why you say that?"

The Cleaner smiled.

"Because I feel for the person who does harm to you, and Mick St. John is back on his feet. That is a hell I would not wish on anyone."

#

"I wish you had called prior to coming over, Miss Turner," said Adrian, opening the door wide for Beth to enter the mansion. "Mr. Kostan is … _indisposed_ at the moment."

"I'm sorry for coming over so late, Adrian, but this couldn't wait." Beth looked around the half lit foyer. "It's concerning Mick."

Adrian hesitated, as if struggling to come to a decision. "Mr. Kostan did leave explicit instructions to inform him immediately any details concerning Mr. St. John," he said. "Please wait here."

Beth nodded and waited as Adrian went upstairs to the second floor. She looked around at some of the black and white photographs hanging on the wall, marveling at barely noticeable Josef Kostan milling about with political figures from the 19th century.

She heard two sets of footfalls above her. "Beth, this is an unexpected surprise," he said as he descended the stairs, followed by Adrian. "My man here says that you have some news concerning Mick."

Beth turned to face him, ignoring the fact that he wore a silk robe cinched at the waist and bedroom slippers. "Josef, did I interrupt something? Is Simone here?"

Josef shook his head as he gestured for Beth to follow him and Adrian. "I'll never kiss and tell, but I'm glad you're here. I have something for you as well."

Adrian opened the doors to the circular sitting room and went inside to the bar in the corner while Beth faced Josef. "We have Mick."

Josef's mouth gaped open at the announcement. The first words he attempted caught in his throat. He closed his eyes and slowly said, "Is he alright?"

"We think he was drugged and beaten. The stake wound hadn't healed. But Guillermo Gasol is giving him blood now so it's wait and see."

Josef nodded. "Well, this certainly trumps my news, but combined, it saves my neck." He reached over and handed her the SD card he had received from Sarah.

"What's this?"

Josef accepted a glass of blood from Adrian. "Only just video proof from Malcolm Rehnquist that I was coerced into turning on Mick. He had quite a busy night at the arena after you disappeared. Attacking Alexandra Sanders, and giving that card to Sarah."

It was Beth's turn to be surprised. "Is Sarah okay?"

Josef gave a nonchalant wave as he took a sip of his beverage. "Oh, she's fine. She's upstairs asleep right now."

Beth shook her head.

#


	9. Chapter 8

_Chapter Seven_

 _A Nice, Long Talk_

The Cleaner stepped into Mick's freezer chamber as Guillermo changed out another bag filled with plasma. "How is he?"

Guillermo straightened from his position beside Mick's freezer and crossed his arms as he looked down at his friend. "Still unconscious, but his wounds are finally healing. The cuts and bruises around his wrists and on his face are nearly gone, and the wound in his chest should be closed in a few more hours."

He carefully closed the lid shut on the container and turned to the Cleaner with an air of satisfaction. "Whatever they were pumping him with, it will take much more to keep my boy down."

The Cleaner was not convinced. "That's just it. We have no idea what they were pumping him with. I personally never heard of any type of experiments done on vampires to make them … _change_. Have you?"

Guillermo paused, glancing over his shoulder at Mick's freezer. The Cleaner regarded him closely. "Guillermo? You know something?"

He sighed and nodded slowly in defeat. "A couple of months ago, Mick … became human."

The Cleaner stepped back in shock. "Impossible! There's no way!"

"I have no reason to lie. He had color in his face. A tan. No powers. He ate solid, _human_ food. He was _human._ You can ask Kostan, ask Logan, you can even ask Beth."

She stepped forward to look down at the glass. "What happened? How did he change back?"

"You remember Pierre Anders?"

She nodded. "The cosmetic surgeon. Someone called a clean up for him." The Cleaner's eyes widened as realization dawned on her and she whirled to face Guillermo. "Mick _killed_ him?"

"It was justified. He had Beth and the D.A. who died not too long ago captive. Talbot was his name. But before that, Anders worked Mick over something awful. He barely made it down to the morgue where I had to do some crafty but quick ass surgery on him. After that, you know as much as I do."

The Cleaner nodded. "Do you know how he did it?"

"His ex-wife had some compound that she injected into his bloodstream. Next thing you know, he's walking around tanned like he tried out for an episode of 'Baywatch.'"

She continued to look down at Mick's encased form. The glass had frosted over, making his visage barely visible. "I need to talk to that doctor we had picked up last night," she decided, stepping past him to the exit. "He works for Rehnquist. He has to know what's going on."

Guillermo followed her downstairs to Mick's living room. "Oh no. There's no need for you to do that. The humans should have him locked up tight by now, so Beth called me leaving Kostan's crib last night saying that she was going to contact her friend this morning about him."

She stopped at the door, fighting the urge to ignore Guillermo and leaving. "Fine," she growled, turning back around. "Probably will be a good idea to stay with Mick in case he wakes up anyway. And plus one other thing."

"What's that?"

"I'm very interested in what you can tell me about his ex-wife's compound."

#

Hayley opened her eyes in the hospital room as the aroma of steaming coffee attacked her nostrils. She rubbed the sleep away and her vision focused on the cup held mere inches away from her face. Her eyes diverted from the cup to Allison standing in front of her.

"I figured you would have stayed here instead of heading back to work or home, so I stopped and got you a cup. Two sugars?"

Hayley reached for it, smiling her thanks. "Just what I need to, well, not start my day, but _continue_ it."

She looked away from Allison over to where Alexandra Sanders rested peacefully in a bed facing them, her face half covered with gauze and bandages. A camouflage cast covered her right wrist. Equipment monitoring her vitals beeped at regular intervals.

Allison sat down on the couch beside Hayley. "How is she?"

"Her cornea was scratched from a share of glass, so her eye will be back to normal in a few days. Other than that, broken wrist, and bruised larynx, just cuts and bruises." Hayley paused to take a swallow of coffee from her cup. "She should be walking around in a couple of days. A week at the most."

Allison nodded. "We need to interrogate this doctor soon, Hayley. He's been locked up in the security wing all night."

Hayley's eyes did not leave her boss. "No one knows we have him, right?"

"Just us. Oh, and Beth and her friend."

Hayley slowly rose from her seat and walked over to the side of Sanders' bed. She grasped the railing as she looked down at her injured friend.

"Good," she said grimly. "Because when I get to the house, we're gonna have a nice, long talk."

#

Toothbrush in mouth, Beth exited her bedroom and headed for the kitchen. Giving the freshly brewed pot of coffee a nod of approval, she began to reach in her cabinet for a mug but was stopped by a knock at her door.

She grunted at the disruption and bent over to spit toothpaste into the kitchen sink. Grabbing a napkin from her Chinese takeout she had purchased last night after leaving Josef's mansion, she hurriedly wiped the corners of her mouth as she made her way to the door.

Beth tossed the napkin into a nearby trash can before peering into her peephole. She pulled back in surprise and started to back away from the door, but curiosity won her over. She disengaged the locks and pulled the door open.

"Coraline."

Coraline Duvall smiled nervously at Beth. "I know this is early, but I must speak with you concerning Mick. May I come in?"

Beth considered closing the door in the vampire's face, but thought that more damage would have been done to her door and her pride than anything else. She stepped back and gestured for Coraline to enter.

Coraline took in the decor of the apartment as Beth closed the door. "Very quaint," she said. "This reminds me of a small apartment I owned in Paris. Before the first world war."

Beth stepped past her and into her kitchen. She grabbed a mug and began to pour herself some coffee, but stopped and held the pot up. "Would you like some? Or did you decide to maintain your blood diet for the next few decades? I can't tell nowadays."

Coraline gave her a sardonic smile. "I'll pass, thank you."

Beth finished pouring and took a sip. "As much as I would like to discuss decorating tips with you, Coraline, I have a busy day ahead of me. What are you doing here?"

Coraline reached into a pocket and unfolded a piece of paper. "I have access to a database my family uses to order supplies and have them shipped to anywhere across the world. I found this list of ingredients ordered and requested by Malcolm to be sent here."

Beth took the paper and scrutinized the items. A sense of dread began growing in her every second she held the sheet in her hand. "Do you know what they're for?"

Coraline shrugged. "I can only speculate. My only focus over the past few decades has been the cure. But Malcolm has experimented for decades trying to find ways to rid vampires of our weaknesses. Sunlight. Heat. Fire. Lead. Even the thirst for blood. There have been some success. Some failure."

She took the sheet from Beth's hand. "But I have heard that his research recently turned into a study of how a vampire's blood works. What he has discovered ... Beth, he has found ways to make any vampire _submit_ to his will _."_

Beth slowly sat down on her couch, looking up at the vampire. "It goes along with what we've found out already," she said. "We believe we may have the doctor who revived Sarah Whitley. Along with Mick."

Coraline gasped. "You found Mick?! Where is he?!"

"He's at his apartment recovering. Guillermo is looking after him." Beth forced a smile. "He's going to be okay."

Coraline returned the smile. "Well, I don't know how you did it, but I know you were heavily involved." Her gaze returned to the paper in her hand.

"This is an enhanced version of sodium pentothal. A version strong enough to break the will of any vampire." Coraline turned and walked over to the bookcase against the far wall. "Malcolm has experimented for the better part of a century in finding ways to make us immune to things that can harm or kill us. Some were successful. Others were not."

"I imagine fire was one of the things you somehow protected yourself against," said Beth. She reclaimed her coffee mug and took another sip. "It was the only thing that had us convinced that it couldn't have been you when you reappeared in Mick's life last year. We both saw you in flames."

"It's one of our most guarded secrets, yes." Coraline turned back around to face Beth. "But we're getting off subject. Malcolm never conducts any experiments outside of our lab in Paris. He requested for these items to be sent here from a reason. A specific reason."

Beth stared hard at Coraline, looking for any visible sign to tell her not to believe anything she said. Instead, she noticed something that she have seen in humans all the time. Never in a vampire.

Fear.

Beth decided to change the subject. "We found Mick last night at an abandoned hotel about an hour northwest of L.A. There was this doctor with him, and he had a bunch of vials in a medicine bag. We think he may have been the one who somehow revived Sarah Whitley from her sixty-year long coma."

"Doctor Ian Ellis." Coraline walked over and held the paper out. "He was the one who had requested some of the other items on the list."

Beth's eyes darted to where Coraline's finger indicated. Ellis' name was noted on the manifest as the requester. "You're right."

Coraline pulled her phone out. "Where is he?"

"That is the answer to the million dollar question." Beth finished her coffee. "But I have a friend who works for the people who have him in custody. Why?"

"Because if he's been out of Malcolm's grasp for this long, it's not going to bode well for him."

She dialed a number on her phone. "Or the ones watching him."

#

Malcolm paced the hotel bedroom floor with his hands clasped behind his back. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, sir." David Oxford nodded. He sat at a table drinking blood from a champagne flute. "There's no mistake. You asked me to familiarize myself with the scents of St. John's friends and acquaintances. Turner was there."

Malcolm gazed outside the window at the morning sky. "Losing St. John this soon is somewhat dangerous, but it was expected. Losing the doctor, however, was not. Do you have an idea of who took him?"

"Not yet, but I have Lucas keeping an eye on Turner's place. Wherever she goes, he will follow."

As if on cue, David's cell phone vibrated on the table. He reached for it and peered at the screen. "It's him now. He sent a picture."

David pulled the picture message up and gazed at the screen in an long, uneasy silence. Malcolm turned around to look at his associate. "David? What's wrong?"

David held the phone out to him. The grim look he gave Malcolm made him pause in taking it from his hand. "Is it that bad?"

"Depends on your definition of bad." David held the phone out again. "I'm just glad you and I get along so well."

Malcolm finally took the phone and opened the message. His expression gave away nothing other than one raised eyebrow. He stared long and hard at the screen for nearly a minute before sighing and passed the phone back to David.

"It seems that Coraline no longer has any appreciation for the life I have provided her and her brothers all these centuries," he said sadly, turning to gaze out of the window once again. No anger in his tone could be detected.

"I received another message a hour ago," said David. "Our New York associates should be here by this afternoon."

"Excellent. Have Lucas follow Coraline and Beth Turner. Wherever they stop, he is to report back with the location."

#

Coraline and Beth stepped off the elevator onto the main floor for Sanders Securities. Beth glanced around and quickly found the door leading into the reception area. "If it wasn't for the fact that the owner was attacked by Rehnquist last night, I certainly wouldn't be here," she said.

Coraline stopped her. "Why?"

Beth carefully considered her answer. "I don't like her motivation. She seems like a good person. Beautiful. Smart. Resourceful. But her mind works at a higher RPM than others. She's hard to keep up with."

They stepped through the doors to the front desk where Beth asked to speak with Allison. Coraline stood several feet away, admiring a magazine blow up of Alexandra Sanders in her Marine Corps uniform.

A side door opened, and Allison stepped out into the reception area. A manila folder was tucked under her arm. "Beth. I wished you had called."

Beth gestured for Coraline to come over. "How's Alex?"

"She'll be okay. Broken wrist and scratched cornea is about the extent of it, but she'll be out of action for a while." Allison paused as Coraline stepped close. "Beth, I know why you're here. I'm sorry. I can't let you see him."

"But it's important," Coraline insisted. "We believe he may know where Rehnquist is."

Allison fully turned to Coraline. "I'm sorry. Who are you?"

"I'm Coraline Duvall, Mick's ex-wife!" Coraline's tone and expression took on that of a jilted, foreign lover on the verge of losing all sense of reality. "I want to know what that bastard did to our Mick!"

Allison looked at Coraline for several seconds in bemusement. Finally she turned to Beth. "You came here. With the ex."

Beth slowly nodded, glaring at the vampire. "She … has a thing for Mick still. It's sick. I keep telling her that. But she won't listen."

Allison slowly looked from Beth to Coraline and back again, finally shaking her head. "Los Angeles. Should I even be surprised?" She shook her head again and walked over to the front desk.

Beth stared at Coraline. "What is the matter with you?" she whispered. "Why do you sound like a crazy girlfriend from a Dr. Phil episode?"

"One of the things I did to modernize myself before returning to L.A. was watch a bunch of his shows." She grinned. "Is the accent okay?"

"No."

Allison came back over and crossed her arms. "I'll probably get fired for this, but we owe you one for last night, Beth. And he puts us closer to Rehnquist.

"You have five minutes."

#

Beth and Coraline followed Allison off the elevator down a dimly lit corridor. "This was part of a parking garage when Alex bought the building," she said. "She had part of it converted into our security wing. Our armory, shooting range, and interrogation rooms are down here."

She stopped at one door and opened it. "Miss Duvall, you can watch from in here. I'm sorry, but I know Beth. I don't know you."

Coraline started to protest, but Beth quickly responded. "That will be fine, Allison. Thank you." She gave Coraline a cautionary look.

Coraline relented and stepped into the darkened room. Beth and Allison followed her inside. Several computer were situated on a desk along with a small handheld video camera mounted on a tripod. The camera was pointed in the direction of the adjacent room, separated by one-way directional glass.

The three women watched a handcuffed Ian Ellis pace nervously around the small room. "I had just got his background check back before you showed up," said Allison, tossing the manila folder she was carrying on the desk. "It's pretty thin. One speeding ticket. Everything else is more job-related than criminal."

Beth continued to watch the doctor. "What do you plan on doing with him?"

Allison shrugged. "Well, I have to break Big Brother's playbook out and say we technically can hold him, but not for long. We caught him as part of a crime, but we don't know what part he played in said crime. Not until we get Rehnquist."

Beth considered this. "So, that was Josh's answer. What is your answer?"

"My answer is whatever answer my boss gives me." Allison glanced at her watch. "Remember. Five minutes."

#

Lucas tugged at his collar for the fifth time since parking his car in front of a seven-story building near the business district of the city. He watched as his quarry, Beth Turner walked purposely up inside, followed by Coraline Duvall.

When he had sent the picture of the women to David, he expected Malcolm to launch into one of his tirades whenever an unexpected implication arises. The arrival of Coraline would definitely count as an unexpected implication.

So he was surprised when David texted back to simply follow and send back their location. He started to ask if he should confront Coraline, but decided that would have been requested if an enraged Malcolm texted him and not David.

He decided to do an address search on his tablet. Punching in the names of the intersection closest to the building, he accessed a database listing all of the business in the immediate area.

The first two, a bridal store and a law firm did not catch Lucas' eye.

The third one did.

He picked up his cell phone and texted two words to David Oxford.

Sanders Securities

#

Beth entered the room as Ellis began his twentieth circuit around the room. He turned to face her. "It's about time. I've been cooped up in here for hours! I don't even know where I am."

Beth gestured for Ellis to take a seat. "It's not my place to tell you, but trust me. You cooperate, and it will be as if you were never even taken. I just have a few questions for you."

Ellis squinted through his glasses. "Wait a minute. You were at the hotel last night. You arrested me."

"No, I didn't, Dr. Ellis. Would you sit down, please? I don't have much time."

Ellis slowly took his seat at the table. Beth slid hers out and did the same. "I know all about you, Doctor. Your work in hematology. Your suspension. The patents you had denied."

Ellis dismissed everything with as close a wave as his manacled hands would allow. "That's common knowledge. A third grader could Google that."

Beth leaned forward across the table, locking eyes with him. "I also know about Sarah Whitley," she said in a very low voice.

The surprise was evident on Ellis' face. He started to speak, but Beth cut him off. "The vials that you have in your bag, they were given to you by Malcolm Rehnquist," she said, shooting to her feet. She used the motion to kick her chair, causing it to crash against the wall behind her.

She slapped her hands on the table hard, leaning across it again. "What were those vials for? Why were you using them on Mick?!"

Ellis held up his hands in a defensive gesture. "I'll tell you! Just don't … kill me, okay? I should have known I was getting in over my head."

Beth reclaimed her seat as Ellis spoke. "Malcolm ordered those drugs through some source he uses for God knows what. He had them sent to the hotel where he and his people are staying."

Beth felt a flush of excitement. "Where is he staying?"

"The Hardwick Hotel."

Beth glanced briefly over her shoulder at the reflective glass. "And the vials? What were you using them for?"

"We gave him several drugs. I administered my selection that kept him weak. Docile. He couldn't do anything. There were times when he sat unrestrained for hours. Because of the combination of the drugs, lack of food and sleep, he had no energy to even lift a finger.

"I primed him in the daytime for Malcolm when he arrived at night. The drugs he had, he mostly administered himself when I wasn't there. He didn't really tell me what they were for. The only thing he told me was that the time he and St. John shared was very informative."

 _Informative? What did he and Mick talked about?_ wondered Beth to herself. She glanced over her shoulder for a brief second before bracing herself.

"In your … _professional_ opinion, is Mick a danger to himself and others right now?"

Ellis shrugged. "I honestly can't tell you what effect the drugs have had on St. John, but after working with Rehnquist going in a month now, there's no telling what is going through his head right now. He could be thinking of making love to you, or killing you, for all I know."

Those words erringly echoed within Beth as she and the others headed upstairs to the lobby. They walked outside, stopping underneath the shade of an umbrella perched in the center of a small granite table.

"What do you think he meant? That Rehnquist set Mick up to be some type of hit man?" Allison sipped from a water bottle in her hand. "Between the truth serum and whatever the hell else he cooked up, it can't be good."

"I don't know, but whatever it is, maybe we do need to get Mick checked out as soon as possible." Beth gestured to where her car rested on the street. "That's our next stop."

Allison finished the contents of her bottle and tossed it in a nearby trash receptacle. "Hayley won't be interested in any of this except the Hardwick Hotel. I have to call and let her know. Let me know if there's anything I can do?"

She nodded once to both ladies before reentering the building. Beth began to make her way to the car, but noted Coraline remained where she stood, her eyes darting up and down the busy street.

"Coraline? What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I think I detect vampire residue, but being it's outside and diluted with the heat from today, it's … it's hard to tell." Her eyes closed and she leaned back to inhale deeply.

Beth took a cautionary look up and down the street, especially at the vehicles parked on both sides. She did not see anything out of the ordinary, though she knew she would not be able to detect anything with her limited senses.

"Come on," she said, turning back to her car and opening the door. "I need to go over to Mick's and see how he's doing."

Coraline finally headed over to the passenger side of Beth's vehicle. Seconds later, the car pulled out from its parking spot into the street, turning left at the first intersection.

Lucas stepped into view from a nearby alleyway, watching the vehicle's departure. He turned back to the Sanders Securities building. His phone was in his hand as he said, "They're heading to St. John's apartment. Chances are he's there."

"It would be so easy to reclaim my prize," mused Malcolm through the speakerphone. "If I were so inclined."

"Coraline knows about the Hardwick, sir. The doctor is singing inside."

"We are already heading to another location. I anticipated he would have given up the hotel. When we get settled, David will call you, but I have another task for you. You believe the doctor is still inside?"

"Yes."

Lucas listened as Malcolm outlined his plan. A smile gradually grew on his face.

#

Beth stopped at the light around the corner from Sanders Securities and looked over at her passenger. "Glad we had that conversation before we arrived. You sure?"

"Yes." Coraline slid her phone in her jacket pocket. "At least one. He or she was at your apartment when I arrived there. The decay was tainted, but still distinguishable when we came back outside."

"Okay. So what are you going to do?"

Coraline smiled as she opened the door.

"I'm going to see what he's up to."

#


	10. Chapter 9

_Chapter Eight_

 _Sunrise and Sunset_

The first thing Mick saw when he blinked opened his eyes was …

"Guillermo?"

Guillermo reached down into the cooler and gently sat Mick up. "Buddy! I swear, you had everyone freakin' out! How're you feeling?"

Mick smiled weakly as his hand brushed against his chest. He glanced down where gauze was taped over his stake wound. "Less drafty," he said. His voice cracked, dry from a lack of moisture. "Where am I?"

Guillermo walked over to a small table by the door and poured a glass of blood. "You're home. You were brought here after you were rescued. From there, sixteen hours of getting pumped with nothing but the purest, freshest A POS grade plasma I could find, plus cooler time. Just what the vampire ordered."

Mick accepted the glass and drained its contents in a single gulp. He handed it back to Guillermo. "The last thing … I remember was fighting off Rehnquist's vampires for a brief minute … at the hotel where I holed up with Leni Hayes."

"Yeah, that's where Beth found you last night. When she and the Cleaner brought you here, you were in bad shape." Guillermo helped him stand upright in the freezer. Once he felt Mick was steady on his feet, he handed him another glass. "Three weeks is a long time."

The glass never made it to Mick's lips. He gave his close friend a confused look. He couldn't tell if it was because of the time or hearing Beth's name. "Three weeks? I've been gone for _three weeks?"_

Guillermo gave Mick a sympathetic pat on his shoulder. "More than three weeks, but get this. We worked day and night trying to find you, old buddy. No one worked harder than Beth. She worked to find you while keeping the big vampires from taking Josef Kostan's head."

Mick cringed again inside. He shook the weird feeling aside as he looked down at his feet silently for a minute before clamoring out of the cooler. Guillermo reached forward to aid him, but Mick was out and standing on tiled floor with relative ease.

He looked down at himself once again and stretched, feeling his muscles loosen in his chest and arms. The only pain he felt resulting from the movement was in his still healing stake wound. He smiled and consumed the second glass' contents.

"I think you better fill me in on what's been going on."

#

Beth stepped off the elevator onto _BuzzWire's_ bullpen floor. Faith started to walk past her but quickly turned around upon recognizing her boss. "I heard what happened last night! Are you alright?"

"Yes, and before you harass me, I typed up a story to put on the website." Beth walked down the row towards her office. "I may be the managing editor, but I still know a story when I see one."

"Uh, yeah. About that."

Beth stopped in her tracks. She gave a two count before slowly turning around. "You didn't use my story?"

Faith grinned sheepishly. "It's not that I didn't _want_ to use your story, Beth. It was more like … I had another story all ready to go."

"Wh - what? Wait, never mind. That's fine." Beth decided not to force the issue. "I just came in to pick up a few things and I'm heading back out. I trust you can handle the asylum for the day?"

Faith rushed after Beth as she resumed her journey to her office. "Sure. I got you. But aren't you interested in _how_ I got the story?"

Beth reached her office door and pushed it open. "If you're worried about accuracy, I'll read it real quick before -"

She fell silent at the sight of Harper Ryan sitting in her office chair with her feet on top of her desk. She smiled and waved at the two women standing outside the door.

"Oh look. Harper's here." Faith laughed weakly.

Beth sighed and stepped into her office. "I guess you were the one who supplied the story," she said to Harper, giving her a hard look. "Mind getting your feet off of my desk?"

Harper complied, swinging her feet onto the floor. "It made sense. We never really finished that interview the other day. I thought it would be a nice way to get my feet into the door."

"Or on my desk. Take your pick." Beth turned to Faith, leaning against the door jam. "Go ahead and have Nancy draw up new hire paperwork for Harper. And find her a desk out in the bullpen."

Faith cocked one eyebrow in surprise. She straightened and gave Beth a small salute before exiting. Beth closed the door behind her and turned back to face Harper.

"Whatever it is is going to have to wait, Harper." Beth walked around to the other side of her desk and grabbed her tablet. "We found Mick last night."

Harper whistled at the news. "I had a feeling it was something monumental for you to skip out like that." She rose from Beth's seat. "Congratulations. How is he?"

"Unconscious. We're siphoning fresh blood into him now."

"Well, the sooner he's up and about, the sooner you can get him to call Magnus's dogs off of Kostan. I heard six will be arriving tomorrow."

Beth remembered the SD card Josef gave her last night. "Got it covered." She slipped the tablet into her purse and headed for the door.

Before she stepped out into the passageway, she looked over her shoulder at Harper. "I think you will be a great asset here at _BuzzWire,_ Harper. But if you ever put your feet up on my desk again, I'm going to use you to test out the depths at the tar pits."

She smiled and exited the office. Harper watched her depart, grinning from ear to ear.

#

Hayley stared at the palms of her hands, lying in front of her on top of her desk. "If Alex was here now, she would fire you," she said. "Hell, _I_ should fire you right now."

Allison nodded. "And you have every right, Hayley. But if it wasn't for Beth Turner, we wouldn't even have this guy in custody. She knew the area better than we did. And her friend took down Ellis. We owed her."

" _You_ owed her, Allison. You owed her lunch, or a bottle of wine. You don't bring her into our facilities to question a suspect in our custody! No one even knows we have him!"

Allison remained silent as Hayley stared across her desk at her. Finally she sat back in her chair and sighed. "You said Rehnquist was staying at the Hardwick. Did our guest say how many he has with him?"

Allison shook her head, slightly taken back that Hayley's words did not include termination. "I called up to see if a Malcolm Rehnquist was in. Front desk said no, though it's possible he could be under an alias."

"And if he is under an alias, it wouldn't matter. He has to know by now that his doctor and St. John are gone." She reached into the bottom drawer of her desk and pulled out two tumblers followed by a half-empty bottle of bourbon. "Care for a taste?"

"I thought you were a tequila girl."

"I haven't touched the stuff since that night we went out." Hayley poured an equal amount in each of the tumblers and slid one across the desk to Allison. "Makes me cringe every time I think about it."

Allison grinned as she picked up her glass. They raised them in a silent toast and took a sip. Allison savored the warm flavor.

"We need to talk with Beth Turner. And St. John, if and when he gets well."

"I'll give Beth a call this afternoon. What about the Hardwick?"

"It's probably a lost cause, but still worth checking out. I'll get Nate and Caddie on it. You get a hold of Turner."

#

A smiling Josef pushed open his cooler and sat upright, nodding with approval at the appearance of Adrian standing by the doorway. A robe was draped across his arm. "Good morning, sir. I hope you slept well."

"When I actually _slept,_ I did." He rose to his feet and exited the cooler. "I hope I didn't embarrass you last night."

Adrian shook his head, handing Josef his robe. "Nothing you do really surprises me anymore, sir."

Josef laughed as he followed Adrian into his huge walk-in closet. "Have you checked on our guest?"

"Actually, sir, Miss Whitley departed the premises thirty minutes ago." Adrian pulled a dark blue suit with matching shirt from their racks and set them out across a staging counter in the closet's center. "I had Lyanna drive her to her hotel."

Standing in front of a mirror, Josef glanced over his shoulder at Adrian. "Without so much as a goodbye? Hmmm. We'll need to make a stop to see her after Mick, okay?"

"Yes, sir."

#

"Yes, sir. I'm watching the ground level entrances well as the garage exit. None of their vehicles have left the premises."

Lucas glanced down from his perch on top of the roof of a nearby bank across from Sanders Securities, shading his eyes against the high noon sun. "I understand, sir. I'll wait on your text."

The scent decay in the air was detected just as he disconnected the call. Lucas whirled away from the building's edge as Coraline shot down from the air, her hand preparing to slash at his face.

Lucas rolled forward, vacating the spot Coraline landed in. He flipped onto his hands and somersaulted to his feet, spinning to face Coraline as she did likewise.

"Coraline. Welcome back to Los Angeles." Lucas lowered into a slight crouch, his arms spread to his sides as he began to step to the right in a circular field of range. "Malcolm's not very happy with you."

Coraline laughed. "So he knows I'm here. Well, I guess this is the final straw, Lucas?"

Lucas flicked his left wrist. A stake slid from his sleeve neatly into the palm of his hand. "I don't know. Come with me peacefully and he might not take your head."

Coraline gave a look as if considering the proposal. "You know, I think I'll take my chances with you." She reached into her jacket and pulled out two long knives which she twirled in her fingers. "You could never beat me anyway."

Lucas growled in anger as his eyes flickered from brown to a dull gray, nearly matching the tone of his skin. He marched towards Coraline with a menacing purpose.

He swung first, a punch aimed at the side of Coraline's head. The blow would have crushed any human's skull it made contact with. The power Lucas possessed, combined with his considerable mass, doubled its destructive capabilities.

But for a vampire, it was simple slow motion.

Coraline ducked under the swing, instantly spotting an opportunity to take out her much larger opponent. She thrusted one of her blades into Lucas' abdomen, causing him to stagger back slightly. As his hand reached down instinctively at his wound, she took a step in and swung out with her blade parallel to her forearm, cutting a bloody four-inch long groove in his larynx.

Both of Lucas' hands shot up to the front of his throat in a fruitless attempt to stop the blood flow. He collapsed to one knee and painfully looked up at Coraline as she sheathed one of her knives. "Such a shame, Lucas," she said, slowly circling him. "I actually liked you. You don't talk much."

Smiling as she considered the irony to her words, she reached into her jacket and pulled out a blade long as her forearm from a sheath strapped to her back. Stepping behind him as he remained on the ground, she grabbed a handful of Lucas' hair and pulled his head back until his eyes were looking back into hers.

She stared back impassively for a minute before shoving the blade into the back of his neck.

#

Beth began to step into the elevator, but stopped when she noted Josef on board. "What are you doing here?"

He did not answer until she stepped inside and the doors closed behind her. "I'm here to see my best friend."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea, Josef. Mick was pumped with some type of drug that had the ability to somehow change a vampire. There's no telling what he will do if he sees you."

Josef scoffed. "News flash. I'm a _vampire_. I can defend myself. My question is what do you think _you_ could do if he sees you."

Beth fell silent as the elevator finished its ascent. "I never really considered it," she admitted as the doors opened.

Josef gestured for her to exit ahead of him. "Then I suggest this. Let's see him _together._ "

Beth looked up at Josef and sighed. "Fine," she growled, leading the way to the apartment. "Chances are he's not even awake anyway."

She opened the door and stepped inside, followed by Josef. Guillermo, standing in front of the couch, turned his attention to their entrance. "Hey, guys. Guess who's back from the dead."

Beth and Josef gasped simultaneously as Mick rose from the couch and turned to face them. Beth took a single step forward. "Mick?"

Mick looked from her to Josef back to her, and once more to Josef. He took a cautionary step forward, keeping himself in front of Beth. "Mick, old friend, he said, smiling nervously. "How are you feeling?"

Mick lowered his head. A growl slowly began to rise from within him, causing Beth to take a step back. Guillermo reached for his arm. "Mick -," he began.

He never got to finish as Mick swung his right fist back at the medical examiner. The force of the blow into his chest was so powerful that Guillermo flew across the room and the kitchen island, slamming into the cabinets. Shards of glass flew into the air, falling on top of him as he collapsed against the lower cabinets.

Josef instantly shoved Beth outside the door into the hallway. She barely had time to brace her head as the rest of her body slammed hard against the opposite wall and slid to the floor.

Beth was a fraction of a second out of Josef's grasp before he turned and caught a diving Mick by the throat. He lifted him in the air, preparing to slam him into the floor. "Mick, snap out of it!"

Mick struggled in his grasp, causing Josef to nearly lose his grasp. Guillermo was back to his feet and came in from behind, hooking his arms under Mick's and placing him in a full Nelson wrestling hold. Mick fought to free himself, but the leverage Guillermo had on his center of gravity was too powerful to overcome. "Can you knock him out?!"

Josef pulled his right fist back and launched a solid blow to Mick's jaw. He staggered wildly, Guillermo holding on for dear life but steadying Mick just enough for Josef to punch Mick again. Both he and Guillermo fell together on the floor.

Josef quickly pulled Guillermo to his feet. "Are you alright?"

Guillermo nodded, pointing to Beth in the doorway. She held her arms around her midsection as she took in the scene before her in disbelief. "What in the hell?"

Josef helped her over to the couch and gently sat her down. She winced in pain at the motion. "Guillermo, check her out."

"Uh, you do realize that I normally work on the dead. Not the living. Huge difference."

"Humor me."

Josef stood over his unconscious friend as Guillermo quickly examined Beth. "Do you feel any pain?"

Beth nodded once, pointing to to her lower front right side. "Where Josef shoved me."

Guillermo gently probed Beth's abdominal area, his head slightly canted. When his fingers pressed against the lower right portion of her ribs, her face contorted in pain.

"It sounds to me like you have a rib cracked. Maybe broken. Nothing can be done with that except to wrap it up tight for now."

All three heard the bell from the elevator dinged down the hall through the opened door. Josef started to rush through the door in full attack mode, but halted his motion almost immediately. "It's fine," he said. "She's alone."

The Cleaner came into view in the doorway, frowning at the scene before her. "What happened?"

"Mick was about to go full berserker mode on these two," said Guillermo. "It took both of us to bring him down."

The Cleaner moved past Mick's still form to Beth on the couch. "Are you hurt?"

Beth slowly rose to her feet, ignoring Guillermo's hand. "I'll be fine," she said, looking down at Mick. "The question is what are we going to do with him."

#

The Cleaner gave the chains a tug before giving a nod of approval. "Thank you, guys. I'll take it from here. And remember. This is between us."

The women, dressed in black overalls nodded and walked downstairs. Beth, leaning against the parapet, watched as they departed. "I must say. You women are efficient."

"We come prepared for everything, Beth." She walked behind Mick, restrained to a small folding chair by his wrists, ankles, neck, and waist. The chains extended down into hooks bolted into the concrete. "No vampire can break these chains."

"Really? You had them tested?"

The Cleaner smiled as she straightened. "Oh course. I had one of the strongest, most experienced and adaptable vampires I know test them. He gave up after about two hours."

She looked down at Mick. "That happened before you came in the picture, I believe."

Beth shook her head, smiling to herself. "Can you leave us alone for a few minutes? I … I just want to talk to him."

The Cleaner gave her a doubtful look. Beth gently but firmly guided her to the stairs leaving to the office. "I'll be fine. You said it yourself. He can't break those chains."

"Okay." The Cleaner gave Mick one last look. "I'll be close by, but will respect your privacy."

"Thank you."

Beth waited until the Cleaner finished her descent before turning her gaze back to Mick, who was beginning to stir in his seat. She walked over, careful to remain a safe distance away.

"Mick. I know you can hear me. I know you're in there somewhere. I know the Mick St. John who saved me all those years ago when I was a little girl, the one who I fell in love with …. I know he's in there."

Mick slowly raised his head and focused his eyes on Beth. He sighed and shook his head. "Please tell me … please tell me I didn't hurt you," he whispered. "Please, Beth. I will kill myself if I ever hurt you."

Beth lowered herself to one knee, careful not to flinch as the pain from her damaged rib intensified. "No, Mick! You didn't even touch me! Josef pushed me out of the way, so I might have broken a rib."

Mick squeezed his eyes tightly and lowered his head. "I'm sorry, Beth. I truly am."

"Mick, it's not your fault. It's Malcolm Rehnquist's. He is the one who interjected himself into our lives and tried to destroy us either physically or mentally. He's messing with us."

Mick raised his head from his chest to look at Beth. She stared back into his eyes and saw not the self-assured, courageous, loyal Mick she fell in love with, but a shell of a tortured soul on the verge of collapse. She leaned close and placed a hand on his knee.

"Mick, what did he do to you?"

Mick looked down at her hand and then back into her face. Beth forced herself to remain still mostly to prevent further injury to her ribs, but also to show that she still had trust in him. She returned his gaze with as much confidence as she could muster. "Please, Mick. What did he do?"

Mick sighed and sat back in the chair. The chains rattled as they adjusted to his movement. "He showed me all the things I regretted in my life, Beth, and then he showed me a path I could have taken that could have prevented me from becoming … _what_ I am today. He showed me what it could have been like if I made my way back to Ray and Lilah all those years ago. How I was forgiven. How I could have been Robert's godfather, instead of finding out about his existence on television.

"I relived the pain I felt from not attending my father's funeral. And countless other things I've experienced throughout my lifetime. But there was one thing, a possible … _future._ Something that consisted of you and me."

"Mick, he … he pumped you with drugs designed to weaken vampires like yourself. We have no idea what true effect they have on you other than the fact that you tried to attack me and Josef."

Mick's eyes shot open wide at the revelation. "I can't be around you two," he whispered, his head lowered and shaking erratically. "I won't be responsible for hurting the two people I love more than life."

"No." Beth leaned close and cupped his face with both of his hands, tilting his head back until she could look into his eyes. "At a time like this, the people you love will be the ones who will help. I trust you, Mick St. John. Trust me to help you."

Mick looked back at Beth for a minute, raising a chained hand just high enough to wipe a tear from Beth's face. He glanced over the parapet at the setting sun.

A hint of a smile appeared in his face, as if he recalled a pleasant memory. "A sunset is always as beautiful as a sunrise. They always look the same with subtle, noticeable differences: one starts your day, while another finishes it."

He looked back into her eyes. "I promise I'll never hurt you. But you have to promise me to protect yourself, okay?"

Beth got up and circled around Mick to hug him tightly from behind his chair, ignoring the pain in her lower rib area. He closed his eyes at the touch.

"All that matters is that you're back. You're here with me. Promise that you'll never leave me again. That's the only promise I want from you."

For the first time since she saw him, Mick's eyes flickered with confidence. He looked up over his shoulder at her and gave a solemn nod.

"I promise.

#


	11. Chapter 10

_Chapter Nine_

 _The Past, the Present, and the Future_

David Oxford watch as the plane slowly made its way in the hangar. He sighed and checked his watch, wincing at the time.

The plane finally came to an halt and the boarding ramp lowered. David watched as Claudia, his twin sister, appeared at the entryway. She saw him standing by the first vehicle and descended to the hangar floor. The look of disgust on her face basically answered the question he was about to ask.

"I hope you two behaved yourselves," he said as he gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Malcolm will be in no mood to settle petty arguments today."

Claudia sighed as she turned to look at the eight men and women deplaning. She watched them make their way to the waiting vehicles before looking back at her brother. "I hope you told Malcolm that he invited himself on the flight, and I had nothing to do with this."

David laughed. "Of course not. Why ruin the surprise? And when we're getting along so well."

Their gaze turned to the plane where one final figure stood in the doorway. He threw his black trench coat over his left arm as he turned the solid black orb of a right eye onto the twin siblings.

#

Hayley stared at an image of Dr. Ellis sitting at the table in the interrogation room on her desktop monitor. Several Chinese takeout containers were spread in front of him as he applied a hearty helping of noodles on a paper plate.

A hurried knock on her door pulled her attention away as she saw Allison standing outside. She waved her in, rising to her feet.

Allison entered the office, her face flushed with a mixture of anxiety and excitement. "You're not going to believe this."

#

The women walked into the office together, and Hayley's mouth fell open in shock at the sight before her.

Alexandra Sanders sat on the front edge of her desk, arms crossed as she regarded their entry in stony silence. She wore a Marine Corps tank top and jeans over high heel boots, her casual for the small patch she wore over her eye and the small splint on her right wrist, she looked none the worse for wear from her unfortunate assault less than twenty-four hours before.

Hayley glanced at Allison who gave her an awkward shrug in response. Hayley turned back to Sanders and took a tentative step forward. "Alex, what are you doing here? You shouldn't be out of the hospital."

Sanders smiled but did not respond, instead indicating for the women to take a seat with a simple nod of her head. They slowly moved over to one of the couches and sat down as she tapped one booted foot on the floor. "Ladies. Glad you're here. Let me show you something."

She uncrossed her arms and pointed a remote at the monitor on the side wall. It activated, showing a recording of Ellis and Beth Turner in the interrogation room. Both women felt their stomachs dropped at the sight.

Sanders allowed the video to play for a minute before moving to sit down on the couch across from Hayley and Allison. Once she was settled, she aimed the remote over her shoulder to pause the recording. The image of Beth exiting the room froze on the screen, as if mocking the two women.

"When Reneé called an hour ago and told me that one of my agents allowed two unauthorized persons to be taken into a secured wing of these facilities, and one of them interviews a suspect in an investigation the owner and president of the company, yours truly, is currently heading, my first thought was, 'No, that cannot be happening. Not when my most senior department head, my most trusted confidant, my _friend,_ the one person who is suppose to know what I am thinking before I actually think it is running things."

Her eyes slowly flickered back and forth between Hayley and Allison as she set the remote on the coffee table, the smile still locked on her face. "So I want both of you to convince me with a reason why I should not have you walking the unemployment line right now, and it better be a damned good one."

#

"And here, here, and one more … here." Simone flipped pages one after another in front of Sarah at the dining table in her suite and indicated spaces for her pending signature. "I'll forward everything to the seller's attorneys in the morning."

Sarah signed each space with a flourish, causing Simone to smile unexpectedly. "You seem to be in a good mood today. Did you crack open a bottle of champagne before I got here?"

"What? No!" Sarah laughed as she handed her the pen. "I was just thinking about the wonderful time I had last night."

"Really. I heard that the night ended with a police raid of some sort at the Correspondent's Ball, followed by Alexandra Sanders being sent to the hospital. Sounds slightly better than the last time I was there."

"Oh, those things did happen, but what happened _after_ is what I'm thinking about."

Simone gave Sarah a hard look, trying to determine what she could be keeping within. "Did you … have _sex_? With _Josef?_ "

Sarah smiled and rose to her feet. She grabbed two water bottles from the table and guided Simone over to the couches where they both sat down. "When I woke up in New York, I first thing I wanted to do is see the man I came to know and fell in love with sixty years ago. Charles Fitzgerald. I … was wary at first. I've missed so much. Was I going to see Charles, or someone else?

"When I awoke in Mr. St. John's apartment from whatever it was that Malcolm Rehnquist drugged me with, the man I saw, it wasn't Charles. I saw someone else. I saw somehow who looked and talked like Charles, but instead, I met Josef Kostan."

Simone suddenly felt her mouth going dry. She reached for one of the water bottles and unscrew the top. "Sarah, please tell me what happened," she whispered.

Sarah placed a hand on Simone's knee.

"Nothing."

The bottle did not make it to Simone's lips. " _Nothing_?"

"Well, he apologized last night for wanting so much to protect me. But what I saw was the Charles I fell in love with at that train station so long ago. After that … we made out."

"You _made out?_ " Simone could not believe what she heard. "That's it?"

Sarah gave her an apologetic look. "Simone, I honestly wanted more. I was ready to once again give my mind, body, and soul to Josef last night. But he turned me down because … of you."

The anger slowly building in Simone gradually faded to a sense of puzzlement. " _Me_?"

Sarah nodded. "Yes, Simone. Josef's in love with you. We were in his bedroom and I started to take off my dress, but he stopped me before I could undo the first hook. He then told me about how you and he had … something going on, but he wasn't sure where you two are headed. Why have you never told me about you two?"

Simone set the bottle on the coffee table. "I'm not sure where we're headed myself. And I really didn't know how to tell a recently comatose eighty-two-year-old woman with the body of a twenty-two-year-old that I have a thing for her former vampire boyfriend."

Sarah nodded. "Understandable."

"So, did Josef come out and say that he's in love with me?"

"Not in so many words, but I could tell. Josef comes across as the complete hard ass, but if he starts off a conversation about a person or an issue, he cares about that person or issue. Simone, sweetheart, just looking at him while he made up all kinds of excuses why we shouldn't be together and talking about you, I could tell he's infatuated with you."

Sarah grabbed Simone's hand. "So if you want him, now is the time to get him."

Simone gently pulled out of her grasp. "What about you? He turned on his best friend to save you. He practically watched over you for sixty years. He tried to turn you. You two have history together."

Sarah shrugged. "What do they sometimes say about history? It belongs in the past. I'm certainly his past. We're in the present, but you have the looks, the smarts, and everything else to be the future. The past and the future should never collide."

#

 _If someone had told me that mixing in the company of a bunch of vampires would be a normal occurrence, I would have looked at them like they were crazy._

Beth took a long look at the men and women seated throughout Mick's apartment. The red-headed Cleaner sat at the kitchen island with her chair turned away from an ogling Logan Griffin, while Guillermo stood on the other side of the island pouring glasses of blood from a large jug, shaking his head. Harper Ryan, the only other human in the apartment other than Beth, sat in one of the high back leather chairs by the bookcase conversing on her cell phone in a hushed tone, avoiding not too subtle glares from the corner where the raven-haired Cleaner and three of her associates stood.

Beth's phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out and signaled to Guillermo that she was going to Mick's office to take the call as she entered the passageway.

Once she was in the office, she connected the call. "This is Beth Turner."

"Beth, this is Coraline." The vampire's voice sounded annoyingly calm as usual. "It turns out I was correct in my assumption. Malcolm did have someone follow us. He was staking out Sanders Securities. Chances are they know by now that that Dr. Ellis is there."

"And if they know he's there, chances are they're going to make a move to either rescue him, or kill him." Beth glanced at the stairs leading upstairs to the balcony. "I'll call Allison."

"No. Malcolm will send others and they will follow him. The best place for him is an already secure location, which is where he is right now."

"A secure location with no vampires on the payroll, Coraline," Beth angrily stated. "They'll be slaughtered!"

"Your friend and the rest of the humans will not be harmed, Beth. I promise. I've already taken steps to see to their safety, but I will need one of the Cleaners on standby."

Beth stepped back and peered through the passageway. Redhead Cleaner was still seated at the kitchen island. She gave Beth a smile and a wave. "Uh, why do you need one of the Cleaners?" she whispered.

Coraline giggled.

"For a cleanup, silly."

#

"Thank you for seeing me."

Josef nodded. "You're my best friend, Mick. Of course I would come up to see you."

"And I see you took Beth's advice as well." Mick's pointed at the stake resting in Josef's right hand. "I don't trust myself, especially around you and Beth."

Josef's gaze fell to the thick chain leading from the wall to Mick's left wrist. "And is one decorative chain also Beth's idea? I thought you had more bracelets up here than Mr. T."

"I was fine when Beth came up here, though there was this … feeling, or an ache I had deep inside. I don't know if it's Malcolm, or someone from my past or what, it was a echo of a voice trying to tell me to kill."

Josef did not react to Mick's revelation. "Did you tell Beth?"

"No. I didn't want to freak her out any more than she is already. I suggested to continue restraining me for your benefit." Mick looked down at his shoes for a few second, rubbing his forehead with his free hand. When he looked back up, a smile was present on his face.

"It's gone now. I don't know what's going on, but I feel fine."

Josef did not drop the stake, but his stature gradually grew more relaxed. "Good, because I'd hate to have to put another hole in you. And speaking of which, are you finally healed?"

Mick nodded, rubbing his lower rib area. "I don't know why it took so long, but yeah. I'm healed."

"Good." Josef finally slipped the stake in a jacket pocket and took a long look at his friend. His first words caught in his throat, causing him to pause and start again.

"Mick, I want to say thank you. You are a much better friend to me than I am to you. From the bottom of my soulless heart, I thank you for the sacrifice that you made to guarantee Sarah's safety. I'm sorry that I did what I did. Betraying your trust. Our friendship. Jeopardizing your future with Beth. It wasn't my intention."

Mick held up a hand, cutting Josef off from commenting further. "I'd have to admit I was a little put off."

"You have every right to be."

Mick crossed his arms and paced as far as the chain would allow him. "Did Beth slap you?"

"As hard as she could. But her silent hate is much worse."

"Then you know what you have to do."

Josef sighed. "She barely talks to me now even though you're back. What makes you think she'll want to hear an apology from me _now?"_

"I don't know. Women like that kind of thing."

Josef smiled. "Very well. I will do that." He paused and walked over to Mick, hand extended.

Mick glanced down at Josef's hand and then up into his face. His own hand slowly raised to grasp it but instead of shaking, he used it to pull Josef into a back slapping embrace, which was heartily returned.

Mick could detect Beth's scent before stepped outside. The vampires turned as she appeared at the entryway, spinning a single key on a loop on her pinky finger. "You two made up?"

Josef looked over at Mick, who responded with a reassuring nod. He looked back at Beth with a smile. "I believe we did, Beth. I hope that you and I can make up as well."

Beth pursed her lips, as if she bit down on a sour piece of fruit. When she spoke, some of the earlier harshness was gone from her voice. "We're not there yet, you and I. Maybe when we put this whole … _whatever_ it is to rest, then you and I can talk. But not now.

She glanced over at Mick. "We have some developments happening. Is it okay if we talk about everything downstairs?"

Beth tossed the key to Josef. He turned it in his hand as he eyed Mick carefully. "Yeah, we can talk about it downstairs," he said, reaching for the padlock restraint on Mick's wrist.

"All of us."

#

Malcolm glanced at his phone for probably the twentieth time in ten minutes, hoping that a call or text from Lucas would come through.

When he glanced at it again five minutes later, the realization that no call or text should be expected from the vampire ever again changed from casual thought to grim reality. He walked over and looked out of the bay window which overlooked a park below the new hotel they now occupy.

The door opened, and Malcolm detected David and Claudia's scent with the draft of air from the door. He started to smile and turn in greeting until …

 _No._

The smile faded quickly, but Malcolm was not angry. He turned and held out his hand to Claudia, drawing her close. "My dear. I missed you so," he said, kissing her on both cheeks.

His gaze turned to the gentleman standing behind David at the door. "Well, I find myself actually glad to see you, Lance."

The vampire smiled as he stepped forward. "Has my sister been misbehaving again?"

"More than likely." Malcolm turned to David. "Lucas hasn't checked in."

"If he hasn't called or texted, then we shouldn't expect that he's going to."

"My thoughts exactly, but our plans have not changed." Malcolm smiled as he clapped a hand on Lance's shoulder.

"In fact, with Lance here, our plans have been … enhanced."

#

"First of all, I want to thank you all for doing what you could in trying to find me, looking after Beth, and just keeping up with what you call normal in this city," said Mick, speaking to Guillermo, Logan, and the redheaded Cleaner, still gathered in the kitchen area. "I really do appreciate it."

He glanced over his shoulder at the other Cleaner and her latex-clad associates by the door. "What you guys did to me, dropping me off to Rehnquist like I was groceries? Pretty low."

The Cleaner shrugged, nonplussed. "Funny. It was the same thing I mentioned to Kostan. But we had a job to do, St. John. We did it."

Mick started to issue a stinging reply, but Beth quickly stepped in front of him. "Mick, do you remember Harper Ryan from awhile back?"

Mick reluctantly allowed himself to be guided away. Harley was standing by her chair, looking up at him in awe. "I have to ask, St. John. Do you do Cross Fit? Yoga? Pilates? You are still just simply _stunning."_

Mick smiled down at the woman. "It's nice to see you again, Ryan."

She leaned in close to Beth, whispering, "I must have fanned myself to death the day I interviewed him for McClane. I keep telling Magnus he needs to start setting up the database with pics of vampires, but he's afraid I'll turn it into my personal dating site like Plenty of Fish or Tinder."

Beth shook her head and led Mick over to the couch. "Coraline has been helping as well," she announced, ignoring the groans and exchanged looks from several vampires "In fact, she's been keeping an eye on Sanders Securities all afternoon to make sure that Dr. Ellis stays put, but she thinks that if they followed me over there and stuck around after I left, they may be casing it to break him out. Or worse."

Mick sat down. "Ellis is the doctor who was drugging me?"

"Among other things." Josef moved from where he stood by the staircase. "Somehow, he was able to wake Sarah from her coma."

Mick stared back at his friend in shock. "Sarah Whitley is awake? How?"

"That's a question best saved for later," said Beth. "Coraline is watching the Sanders building now. She says she has it handled, but I'd feel better if we can see what's going on over there."

The redheaded Cleaner gestured from her chair. "I could play that role. And I brought my spare outfit."

"Ooh!" Logan nearly fell out of his chair. "Can I come?"

"Wait a minute." The raven-haired Cleaner stepped close to the couch and gestured to Beth. "Why do we have a _human_ giving us orders?"

Her counterpart rose from her chair and walked over to stand protectively over Beth. "Beth Turner is practically family now. She knows more about us here in this city than any other human I've ever come across, and she has never betrayed our secrets. Or a vampire."

Raven and Red stared hard at each other. Mick sighed and stood. "Look, no one is ordering anyone around, but I would feel better if someone is perched over my ex wife's shoulder on this."

"And she did say a cleanup may be needed later," Beth added.

Red gave Mick a smile. "Then it's settled. Logan and I will go and assist. If we need another hand, we'll give you a call."

As Red and Logan departed, Mick turned to his remaining guests. "Everyone else, get out of here. Get some rest. But stay accessible. If and when this hits the fan, we're all that stands between the city and Malcolm Rehnquist."

#

Alex Sanders poured herself a drink from her bar. "Well, I'm going to repeat everything you two told me. Condensed version, of course. The drugs have worn off, and I'm about ready for bed."

She turned and gestured to Allison, still seated on the couch next to Hayley. "You discovered the clue about about Victorville with Nate and Caddie. You also discovered that St. John and Turner were involved in a case prosecuted by your brother, and everything led to a hotel on the outskirts of the city. You called Turner, as she's familiar with the area. Did I miss anything?"

Allison shook her head. "Nope. You got it down pat."

"Turner calls one of her friends who subdues this doctor by herself, and in the process finds Mick St. John. By then you two were alerted of my attack, so you took charge of bringing the doctor here, while Turner takes St. John. How is our dynamic detective, by the way?"

"I don't know. Last I heard, he was still unconscious."

Sanders turned to Hayley. "You were made aware of the doctor's capture. Instead of taking charge of my operation, what were you doing?"

"I was watching over you. I didn't know if Rehnquist would be after you again or what, so I didn't let you out of my sight until I was made aware of what happened with her friends."

"Which would have been an opening for you to discuss termination." Sanders sat back down and took a sip of her drink. "But you didn't. Why?"

"Because the interrogation did yield some new evidence." Hayley pulled her cell phone out and reached over to hand it to Sanders. "We know that Rehnquist was staying at the Hardwick Hotel. Rented an entire floor and paid for a month in advance, but only occupied three rooms out of twenty-four. I showed a picture of Rehnquist to the desk clerk and he confirmed it. He, the doctor, and at least two other men were the only ones who had access to the floor. These are screenshots of the other men I was able to grab off of their security feeds."

Sanders took the phone and scrolled through the pictures. The steely gaze she had reserved for the women faded to puzzlement. "Are you sure he's one of them?" She showed Hayley a picture on the phone of a man in his late twenties, bald head and a neatly trimmed, solid black goatee.

Hayley nodded. "Why?"

Sanders wordlessly got to his feet and hastened to her desk where her laptop sat opened. "Police found a dead body on the roof of the building opposite corner of ours," she said, keying in commands. "They couldn't identify him. ID and passport is forged, but they showed a picture off of one of them online."

The interrogation room recording on the wall monitor was shrunk to cover one half of the screen. Occupying the other half was an image of the same man in the picture.

Hayley and Allison rose to take a closer look as Sanders said, "That character had a solid view of our front entrance and parking garage entrance. He was casing the joint."

"How do you know that?" asked Allison.

"Because he was decapitated."

Hayley whistled. "Wow. Someone went 'Game of Thrones' on him?"

Allison did not respond as she stared at both of images on the monitor carefully. "He was here for him," she said. "He was here for the doctor."

Sanders reached for her desk phone. "And thinking like that lets you keep your jobs another day," she said, dialing a number. She pressed the handset to her ear for a second and frowned.

Hayley walked over to the desk and watched as she dialed again. "What's wrong?"

"The phone. It's out." Sanders slowly replaced the handset on the cradle, completely confused. "Like the line was cut. But that's impossible unless…"

Hayley gasped. "Unless whoever our headless guy is working for is … already inside."

A loud thud in the office startled both women. They turned to look at Allison's still form in the floor, unconscious. Hayley took a step towards her and almost immediately fell to one knee. "There's … something … air conditioning … "

Hayley slumped completely to the floor just before Sanders could reach her. She managed to catch her head before it made contact with the coffee table. "Air conditioning?" she breathed, hurriedly looking around her office.

The white mist was clearly visible when she glanced over the doorway at the vent. Feeling the effects beginning to overcome her, she stretched for a blanket draped over one of the chairs facing her desk. Her good hand slapped against the armrest several times before she finally managed to grab it, but she failed to muster the strength to pull herself upright.

Her jacket was draped over the same armrest she held on to. She grabbed the jacket, pulling it off of the chair. It fell heavily on the floor with a muffled crack. She held it against her nose and mouth while reaching into a pocket with her injured right hand just as the door opened.

A dark-haired man of average height peered inside and saw her leaning against the front of her desk. He smiled and pushed the glass door opened wide, obviously not affected by whatever it was being pumped into the air conditioning system. "We got a live one in here," he announced, dusting his hands off against his dark blazer.

Sanders pulled her hand out of the jacket and pointed her pistol at the man who almost laughed. "I don't think you want to use that, miss. You might hurt someone."

"Yeah," she said, her voice muffled from behind her jacket. "You."

She fired her weapon, blinking instinctively due to the kickback. She felt her aim was true, as she was a confident, well trained shot.

No way she could miss.

When her eyes opened, the man was standing over her, his hand gripping the splint covering her broken wrist. "I think you need to drop the weapon," he whispered, applying pressure until she had no choice but to drop the pistol into his other hand.

Footsteps echoed outside the office, growing louder and closer until Malcolm Rehnquist came into view. He took in the scene before him until his eyes rested on Sanders. "Alexandra Sanders. You are by far the most resilient human I've ever came across," he said, lowering himself to a crouch beside her and pulled the jacket from her face.

He leaned close and held her face close until he could tell the mist was doing its work on her. "Normally, I would crush anyone who stands in my way, but _you_ , my dear, you would make an excellent addition to the family."

Sanders tried to speak, but the mist's effects quickly overpowered her. Her head leaned to the left, and she slid to the floor in an unconscious slumber.

#


	12. Chapter 11

_Chapter Ten_

 _BloodMeld_

Logan marveled at the handling of the Cleaner's luxury automobile as she parked it a block away from Sanders Securities. "This baby rides like a dream! Way better than Mick's Mercedes! The way you shifted gears cutting that hard left turn on a yellow? I should get one!"

The Cleaner exited the BMW, followed by Logan. "Really? What do you drive now?"

Logan paused his work on a small tablet in his hands, and gave her an embarrassed look. "I … I drive a Vespa," he said softly.

A darkened van turned onto the street and navigated towards them. The Cleaner gave it a wave as it passed by. "Lauren got my message," she said. "Now back to you. A Vespa?"

Logan lowered his head. "Yeah."

The Cleaner gave him a small smile. "Well, _any_ car will definitely be an upgrade for you. We can discuss it further after you tell me what we're looking at in the building."

"Already done." Logan around and held up the tablet for her to see. "I tapped into Sanders Securities' surveillance system and motion detectors using the protocols I pulled when Mick first visited a couple of weeks ago. I'm picking up three humans inside."

The Cleaner frowned at the three dimensional schematic of the seven-story building and its sublevels. "The blue dots indicate the humans? And this is a real time display?"

"Yep, on both accounts."

"Then why aren't they moving on your screen?"

Logan blinked at the screen. "They were active signatures. What do you mean they're not moving?"

They both stared at the displayed in silence for two long minutes before the Cleaner shoved the tablet into Logan's chest. "They're unconscious," she said. "They're still alive, based on the temperature gauge you also have on display. I don't suppose you also have infrared readings as well?"

Logan shook his head. "Never thought I needed it for this place, and plus the owner doesn't have that type of camera," he said apologetically.

The Cleaner sighed, contemplating the next move as her attention diverted to the top of Sanders Securities. She stood motionless, focusing all of her vampire senses as her gaze slowly wandered from one corner of the roof to the other.

Logan turned his gaze up to the top of the building as well. "You found something?"

The Cleaner nodded, her eyes suddenly darting to a dim light blinking from around the corner of the building. "Maybe. The best way to follow up on it is to head down."

#

Standing at the gateway leading into the underground parking garage, Coraline detected the decay before the two sets of footfalls landed behind her. She spun around, a short sword in hand ready to strike.

Logan wailed in terror, nearly dropping his tablet at the sight of the long haired vampire and her weapon. "Wait! Please don't kill me!"

Standing behind Logan, the Cleaner trained a pistol on Coraline. She smiled as she said, "You can lower that sword, Miss Duvall. Beth sent us."

The women simultaneously lowered their weapons. Logan blew out a sigh of relief. "Thank you," he whispered.

The Cleaner paused after a few steps past Coraline into the parking garage. She took note of the empty company cars parked, as well as the open elevator at the end. "What's going on? Are there people here?"

"Yes. Malcolm is believed to be upstairs, but there are four in the sublevels of the building I believe is looking for this doctor of yours." Coraline slid her short sword back under her dark jacket. "We decided to retrieve him first."

The Cleaner glanced over her shoulder.

" _We?"_

 _#_

Malcolm picked up a marksmanship trophy from a shelf it rested on underneath the wall monitor as Sanders laid unconscious on one of the couches while Hayley and Allison were dragged into a corner by the serving bar by two of his associates. "You must have done some redecorating since the last time I've been here, Miss Sanders," he said, turning the trophy in his hands as Allison was placed rather awkwardly against Hayley on the floor. "I wasn't aware your military career was so extensive."

One of the associates snorted as he walked over to the bar and picked up a bottle of bourbon and sniffed the cap. His face wrinkled in disgust and he put the bottle back. "I'm sorry, but I don't consider six or seven years a military career."

Malcolm replaced the trophy on the shelf, chuckling at the comment. "You must forgive William. When it comes to military warfare, he has learned from the masters. Cornwallis, Washington, Grant, Patton, Eisenhower, Powell … the list is endless."

The other two women remained still where they laid on the floor, but Malcolm found himself frowning when Sanders slowly began to stir. First one finger.

Then two.

William noticed the movement as well. He looked down at her from behind the couch. "That's never happened before. Normally your paralyzing dust knocks humans out for hours."

"I know." Malcolm squatted beside Sanders and thumbed open her good eyelid. "Her constitution is stronger than I thought. I should have realized that upon seeing her. Twenty-four hours ago, I put this woman in a hospital."

The office door opened, and David hastened inside. "We might have a problem, sir," he said, holding out a cell phone.

Malcolm frowned as a mixture of blood curdling growls and screams issued from the speaker. Every few seconds the growl would overpower the screams which seemed to be growing louder and more telling. His eyes diverted over to the monitor on the wall that was displaying the paused image of the doctor.

An image now replaced by the Sanders Securities logo rotating on a black screen.

David disconnected the call and slid it back into his jacket. "Everyone went down there to take care of the doctor's retrieval," said David.

"And Lance?"

David shook his head. "I don't know."

Malcolm rose to his feet and straightened his clothes. "It seems that the doctor's usefulness has ended, David. You and I have to pay some friends of ours a little visit," he said, making his way to the door.

"What about our friends here?" queried William.

Malcolm gave a small shrug without even looking back. "They're nothing. Leave them."

#

Four figures dressed in black tactical gear marched out into the parking garage. Three of them held back by a dark van, while the fourth, wearing a gas mask, guided a staggering Doctor Ellis by the elbow towards Coraline, Logan, and the Cleaner. Those two came to a halt in front of the vampires.

Coraline examined the doctor, who nearly fell to one knee in front of her. She looked at his guide. "What's wrong with him? He looks like he just woke up."

Hands reached up to the gas mask. The device was pulled up and off the face of its wearer, a handsome man with short, blonde hair. "Some type of sleeping agent was released into the air conditioning unit," he said, sliding the gas mask into a pouch strapped to his side. "It knocked him out as well as three others upstairs. It has no effect on vampires. Natasha is checking on them now."

The expression on Logan's face was one of puzzlement. "You're human."

Coraline smiled. "Very astute, Logan. Allow me to introduce you to Xavier King, right-hand man and great-nephew six or seven times over of Marcus Daggett, one of the most prominent vampires in Detroit."

King gave him a short nod. "We tried to keep it clean in there, but … you know. Have you got in touch with a cleaner?"

The Cleaner raised one gloved hand. "I have a crew standing by."

King smiled. " Perfect. We cut the video feed when we came across a computer terminal, but none of us are tech savvy like that. We may need to wipe the building's feeds in case the cameras picked up anything."

"Oh, I can take care of that." Logan held up his tablet. "But I have a question. Who are you guys?"

King looked over his shoulder at the three silent figures behind him. The largest stepped forward, reaching up to remove the goggles and ski mask from his head.

The Cleaner and Logan gasped at the sight before them. King merely smiled. "Mr. Griffin, I believe you already know Magnus McClane."

McClane reached up to ensure his top knot holding his long black hair was intact. "Aye, the fat one knows me."

Logan gulped nervously as McClane stepped close. "What's wrong with you?" he whispered. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"It's known that several of the more prominent vampires outside of Los Angeles are enroute here because of Josef Kostan's betrayal of Mick St. John." He pointed shakingly at McClane. "You're one of them."

The Cleaner looked up into McClane's bearded face. "Judging from your intervention, it seems that you now believe that all this has been one carefully planned manipulation of Malcolm Rehnquist."

McClane gazed down upon the Cleaner approvingly. She rolled her eyes as she tilted his chin up to where they were locked with his. "My eyes are up here."

McClane chuckled softly, patting her hand. "Rehnquist is proving to be a bigger pain in the arse than all the vampires in this God forsaken city combined, so aye, lass. Kostan's head stays attached to his body."

Logan threw his hands in the air, clearly exasperated. "Okay, well that's all well and good! We've only been working to convince you of that same instance _for the better part of a month!"_

McClane took a step towards Logan. "Careful, young one. We may be in a basement, but I'm sure I can find a high window to drop you out of."

All heads turned to the parking garage entrance as a dark van made its way down the ramp towards them. "I guess that's the cleaning crew," said King.

The Cleaner nodded as she waved them forward. "Time to get to work." She started to move towards them, but turned back to McClane. "I thought you had a cleaning crew on site as well."

McClane smiled. "They _are_ on site, lassie. They are not like you and your house where you clean up the mistakes made by careless vampires to hide our secrets from preying human eyes. _No_. My group, my brainchild and headed by the always reliable and competent Xavier King, travels the world to eradicate the vampire scum at the root of the problem."

He turned to the two silent vampires standing silently several feet away. "My friends, no one will be able to withstand the might of BloodMeld."

#

Mick, Josef, and Beth stood around the kitchen island. The vampires sipped on glasses of blood, while Beth had her hands wrapped around a coffee mug.

Each of them regarded each other over the rim of their glasses, unsure of what to say, or who should start. Beth exchanged a look with Mick, who eyes diverted over to Josef as if gesturing a motion. Beth sighed and set her coffee mug down.

"Josef?

He looked over at Beth. "Yes, Beth?"

Beth started to speak but looked over at Mick. He gave her a barely perceptible nod. "Josef, I admit when Mick was taken from me, I wanted … I wanted you dead."

Josef smiled. "That's a downgrade from saying it will be a cold day in Hell before you forgave me."

Mick frowned. "Josef," he admonished.

"Sorry, Beth. Go ahead."

Beth sighed again. "I said a lot of things, but I have to admit I never wanted anything to happen to you. I know you were in a difficult position when Sarah was taken."

She reached for Mick's hand and grasped it. "But after everything that happened, you did do what you could to try to get him back. It's probably because your neck was on the line and -"

Mick turned his gaze upon Beth and cleared his throat. "But in the end, everything turned out for the best. I got Mick back, you got that death sentence commuted -"

Beth caught Josef's down expression. "What now?"

"There's still the matter of that, Beth. Do you still have that SD card?"

The blank expression on her face gave way to embarrassment. "Oops! I almost forgot!" she said, reaching for her purse. She dug the card out and placed it in his hand, squeezing it tight.

He looked down at it and then into her smiling face, unsure of what to say. She stared back at him in silence as she covered their clenched hands with her free one, and shook them in a conciliatory gesture.

Mick finished his A positive and remained silent throughout the entire exchange, joyful that the two people who meant the most to him finally put the past month behind them and move forward.

The moment made him reluctant to interrupt the happy moment. "Uh, what's on the card?"

Josef held it up between two fingers. "Only Malcolm's confession that he orchestrated everything from Sarah's abduction to our current situation. Magnus McClane wants his sword through my neck because of the part I played, but once I take this to Madame Wen, she can call his dogs off."

Josef smiled at Beth and turned for the door. He paused to look over his shoulder as he reached for the handle to pull the door shut behind him.

Beth slowly walked around the island to Mick, who pulled her into a tight embrace. They stood together, moving ever so slightly.

#

Hayley poured three glasses of bourbon from the bar in Alex Sanders' office. She carried the glasses to the coffee table and sat them down. "Thank God Alex doesn't have tequila. Otherwise, I would have definitely broke my vow tonight after how I feel."

"You and me both." Allison reached over and grabbed one of the glasses. She sniffed the contents as Hayley sat down beside her and did the same.

"Any ice?"

Hayley grimaced as if she bit into bitter fruit. "Ugh. Stop being a punk and drink."

Allison grinned. She started to turn her glass up before one of the doors opened to the office. Nate Cullen held it for a clearly agitated Alexandra Sanders to step through.

"Happy to see you at least poured me a drink, Hayley," she said, pulling her pistol from her back pocket as she marched over to her desk. "Do me a favor and pour Nate one as well."

She dialed a number on her desk phone. "This is Caddie," a feminine voice answered through the speakerphone.

"What do you have, Caddie?"

"Feeds have been wiped clean. Probably magnetized. And Alex? I physically checked the cameras in the sublevels. Some of them were cut."

Hayley frowned as she handed a glass to Nate. " _Cut?_ Cut as in snipped?"

"Cut as in _cut_ , if I had to bet on it. The camera casing is suppose to withstand impact of up to twelve hundred PSI. There are three cameras leading from parking to the room where the doctor was held that looked as if someone took a sword to them."

Allison sighed as she sat back. "Well, we're screwed. The feeds have been wiped, and cameras chopped in half by samurai. What are we going to do?"

Hayley exchanged a look with Sanders, who grinned at her in return. "Caddie, keep up with your investigation. I'll call you back." She picked up the receiver and replaced it to disconnect the call while reaching for her cell phone and began dialing a number.

Allison finished her drink and leaned over to set it on the table. "What's she doing?"

"Only what makes Alexandra Sanders what she is today," said Nate. He stood behind the couch opposite of her and Hayley. "When she set up shop in this building, she had the customary security specs installed and everything. That system is fried. It will be a miracle to pull anything from it."

Allison glanced over at Sanders who sat on the edge of her desk with her back facing the office as she spoke on her cell. "Okay, well why is everyone in here grinning like Cheshire cats?"

Hayley clapped a hand on Allison's knee. "Because she believes in redundancy."

#

Allison whistled. "A _secondary_ system? Alex has a secondary recording system installed?"

She, Hayley, and Nate watched from an enclosed office through panel glass as Sanders and a stout, bespectacled man with a receding hairline worked in the security room. The man had set up a laptop and desktop on an empty desk, and now was standing on a stepladder, poking through ceiling panels with a flashlight.

"Anyone knows that a high level security installation like this would have cameras all over the place, so if there was any kind of infiltration, it would be the first or second thing hit," said Nate. "So Alex decided to have a second system installed totally separate from the primary device. Every office, every room in the building has one or two pinhole cameras installed. Chances are it's still running because the server hub is in her office. Nowhere near here."

He looked up and around on the ceiling until he found what he was searching for and pointed. Allison's eyes followed and found a small, darkened circle enclosed in the ceiling panel. "Impressive."

The man lowered himself from the ladder with a handful of ethernet cable leads running from the ceiling. "And who is this guy? From the cardigan and the pocket watch, he looks like a butler."

"Niles runs her Malibu beach house and her home in Calabasas," said Hayley. There was a playful twinkle in her eye as she spoke. "She hired him when the business really picked up. Highly recommended. But don't let the get up fool you. There are rumors that he's former MI6. Royal Air Force. Interpol. No one really knows. He has no online presence, is paid in cash, proficient in hand-to-hand combat, and can bake a turkey that looks like it's on steroids."

Nate rubbed his stomach for emphasis. "Hmm mmm."

A knock on the glass brought their attention back to the adjoining room. Sanders pointed a finger at Allison and signaled for her to come in. She frowned and went to the door connecting both offices.

Niles had an image already up on the laptop as Allison entered. Sanders turned at her approach. Allison noticed that the patch covering her right eye was removed. Though it was red in splotches, and the skin around the eye was discolored, Sanders stared back unflinching at Allison as she handed her a photograph.

"Who is the woman with Beth Turner?"

Allison stared at a picture of her talking with Beth and Coraline earlier in the day. "She introduced herself as Mick St. John's ex-wife. Duvall. Coraline Duvall. Why?"

"Because of this, my dear." Niles turned the laptop to where the women can see a freeze frame of Coraline standing outside of the parking garage. "This was a few minutes after you all were knocked out in the office. Chances are she knows what happened to the doctor."

Sanders turned back to Allison and guided her back to the door by the elbow.

"You and I need to find her, Turner, and St. John. _Right now._ "

#

Mick sat alone on the couch in his loft, staring down at his empty hands. Unblemished, uncalloused, perfect in every way. The marks he bore while tending as a medic during the war, or a guitarist after his return, long gone.

He opened and closed his hands, resting in his lap as he sat. The emptiness bothered him as a vaguely familiar voice in the recesses of his thoughts kept asking him one question.

 _What are you waiting for?_

Mick held his right hand up close to his face, examining the palm for several seconds before turning it and looking at the smooth, pale skin.

"Penny for your thoughts."

He looked up to see Beth descending the stairs. She wore one of his button down long-sleeved shirts while drying her hair with a towel. "What?"

Beth tiptoed from the stairs to the couch and sat down beside him. "For a second, you looked like you were deep in thought sitting here."

Mick noticed that he still held his hand up in the air. He started to lower it, but instead reached behind Beth and scooped her up to where she was straddling his lap facing him. "I was thinking about you, actually."

He reached up to move a lock of her damp hair from out of her eyes as she cupped his head in her hands and looked down into his face. "You know, we really haven't been alone since we decided to give this a go, Mick," she whispered seductively.

Mick smiled back. "We've been alone, Beth. There was the night before you went to Detroit, the night after when you came back -"

Beth playfully hit him on the shoulder. "You know what I'm talking about, Mick St. John."

"I know, I know." His tone fell serious. "Beth, are you sure -"

He never finished as Beth reached down and began kissing him hungrily. He returned the kiss with equal passion, wrapping his hands tight around her waist as her fingers groped for the bottom edge of his shirt. He finally relented and disengaged long enough for it to be pulled over his head. She tossed it on the floor.

It was joined seconds later by her shirt.

#


	13. Chapter 12

_Chapter Eleven_

 _Isle of the Sun_

Sarah raised the glass up to the light, swirling it around gently by the stem for several seconds. She then raised it to her lips and took a perfunctory sip, allowing the liquid to roll across her tongue and down her throat. She closed her eyes and savored the taste.

"This is the best one I've tasted today," she said, glancing across the table at Simone. "What's the name on the label?"

Simone looked down at the nearly full bottle beside her. "Uh … here it is. 'Île du Soleil.' Is that French?"

"'Isle of the Sun.' Perfect." Sarah set her glass down and began writing on a notepad. "I think this should be the centerpiece bottle for the party we're throwing tonight."

"The bank president, former owners, and at least fifty of your neighbors have been invited." Simone consulted a tablet in front of her. "I also invited my bosses from the firm. They'll be here in the morning."

The women sat at a small circular table underneath a covered gazebo. Torches surrounded the structure, brightly illuminating the structure as it overlooking a corner of the vineyard covering nearly two hundred acres. A walkway illuminated by overhanging lamps led from the gazebo to the pool area at the rear of a spacious two-story Victorian-style mansion.

Floodlights hanging from the long second floor balcony shone down over the pool and the surrounding lounge area where workers staged tables and chairs to be arranged for the party.

Sarah finished writing on the pad and walked it over to the cook, a short, balding man who stood several feet away at a small charcoal grill. "Zach, your menu looks good. Do me a favor and focus on dishes that goes best with the three bottles I have circled, okay? Especially the 'Isle of the Sun.'"

Zach gave the list a once over and nodded. "Not a problem, Miss Whitley. We already have thirty to forty bottles of each in the wine room. I'll make sure they're brought up tomorrow."

He pointed to the chicken he was seasoning on the grill. "Are you ladies ready for your salads?"

Sarah nodded enthusiastically. "Set it up."

She stood by for a minute watching the cook prepare the dinner with zeal before turning back to the table. As she sat down, she noted one of the workers leading a very familiar figure down the walkway to the gazebo.

"Josef's here," she said.

Simone looked up from her tablet as Josef strolled up the steps with a bottle of champagne in hand. "Good evening, ladies. I thought I'd find you up here."

Sarah began to speak, but instead turned to Zach at the grill. "Zach, we need to speak with Mr. Kostan in private. Once you're done here, why don't you get started prepping tomorrow's menu? I'm sure we can manage the grill without you if we want seconds."

Zach used a spatula and quickly scooped the meat onto two plates filled with Romaine lettuce resting inside a cooler on the small folding table behind him. A sprinkle of mozzarella cheese followed by a dash of salt and pepper, and ten seconds later, he set the plates on the table.

"I'll send someone along to clean up a little later," he said, taking off his apron and setting it and his cooking utensils into a small tub on the table. "Leave everything as is."

Josef gave the cook a short nod and watched as he made his way towards the house. "Already putting the staff to work, I see," he said as he sat down at the table.

Sarah took a bite of her salad, enjoying the taste of the chicken. "It seems they appreciate the change of ownership. Zach is an excellent cook." She wiped her lips with a cloth napkin as she looked over at Josef.

"So, what brings you out to Whitley Vineyards?"

Josef slid the bottle over to her. "A small present for you. My way of saying congratulations."

Sarah inspected the bottle. "Dom Périgon. I haven't had any since my father opened one of the bottles for my eighteenth birthday he had received as part of the company's centenary. 1935, I believed."

Simone washed a forkful of salad down with wine. "I don't know when I'm going to be used to you two talking about events that happened before I was born."

"Oh, come on, Simone. We're just three adults having a pleasant conversation," Josef said, glancing at Sarah. "I can't help if a bit of it slides into an era between Prohibition and the moon landing."

"Josef, please." Sarah placed the bottle over to the side. "It's a very nice gift. Thank you. I would like to save it for tomorrow, if that's okay, and I don't have any B positive on hand."

"Quite alright, my dear." Josef reached for a bottle of wine and poured a small amount in a spare glass. "I can stand a few sips of the human form of refreshment."

And that was what he did, tolerating the tart flavor of 'Isle of the Sun' while the ladies finished their salads. "Zach knows how to turn a simple salad into an adventure," said Simone, dabbing at the corners of her mouth with a napkin. "I can't wait to see what he whips up tomorrow."

Josef slid his glass away from him. It had a small amount of wine left. "Having a soirée here tomorrow? That's the reason for all the work going on around the house?"

"A way to meet the neighbors, that sort of thing." Sarah looked over the rim of her wine glass. "I would invite you, but the bank president will be here and I really don't think he deserves to be thrown off the Hollywood sign."

Josef smiled. "Oh, you think so little of me."

"Oh, I think a lot of you, Josef." Sarah rose from her seat and slowly walked over to stand behind his chair. Josef looked up over his shoulder at her, but she tilted his head back down to where his eyes fell on Simone, who was on her feet and walking over from the other side of the table.

Josef frowned. "Uh, what's going on?"

Sarah sat down on the edge of the table to Josef's left. "Simone and I had a long talk last night."

Josef glanced at Simone who mimicked Sarah and sat down on the table to his right. "And what was the conversation about, pray tell?"

Simone reached down and ran her hand down his arm. "About you."

"I … sort of spilled the beans about our night together to Simone," Sarah said meekly.

Josef slowly turned his head from Sarah to Simone and back again. He chuckled to himself and played with the arm of his chair. "I hope you didn't go off about me not being willing to perform," he said. "I _was_ willing. I just felt -"

"Guilty?" Simone asked. Sarah grinned at her.

Josef slowly nodded. "Yes, I guess I felt guilty about everything."

Sarah rose and looked down at Josef for a moment before reaching down and giving Josef a peck on his cheek. "I think you two have some things to talk about, so I'll leave you to it while I put the bubbly in the Fridgidare for tomorrow."

She straightened and reached for the bottle of champagne. Giving Simone a quick wink, she then turned and walked up the stone pathway towards the house.

"Ah, another crack from the Hoover era. Frigidaire?" Simone rolled her eyes before looking down at Josef.

He looked back up at her as he pulled her over to sit on his lap. She complied and wrapped an arm over his shoulders.

"So. You know what happened the other night," he said.

"I know what _didn't_ happened." Simone smiled. "And why. But what I couldn't figure out was why her dress had to practically be on the floor before you became so overridden with guilt."

Josef slid his arms around her waist. "In my four centuries of existence, I've been with countless women. Some purely for sex. Some for refreshment. Some for both."

"And I believe I fall under the last category." Simone's expression grew serious. "Your conquests since the first Thanksgiving are not in question tonight. What I want to know is why you would rather be with me than Sarah."

She slid off of Josef and stalked frustratingly around the table. "Sarah was the one human you attempted to turn, Josef. For you - _you_ of all vampires to do that, you have to had love her. And when it didn't work, you provided care for her for sixty years. So you can't sit there and tell me that you all of a sudden, when that love of your life is once again standing before you, you chose me."

Josef pursed his lips as he leaned forward and steepled his fingers on the table. "You mind if I tell you a little secret?"

"Oh, I'm all ears." Simone slid a chair close to Josef and sat down, staring into his face expectantly as he continued to look down at his hands.

"You're right, Simone. I would be lying if I sat here and said after all these years, I don't have any feelings for Sarah. I do have feelings for her."

"Then why all of this, Josef? You do realize you're stringing two women along, right?"

When Josef did not reply, she reached for his hand and grasped it. "We have had a few months. You two were cheated out of sixty years. You owe it to yourself to reclaim that what you lost."

Josef slowly turned his head until his eyes locked with Simone's. He saw a mixture of sadness and absolution. She dabbed at the corner of her left eye with a finger, but smiled and gestured with her head towards the path Sarah had taken moments earlier.

Josef rose and took several hesitant steps before looking back over his shoulder at the young woman. Simone waved him along. "Go. I'll sit here and finish off this bottle of wine. Talk to her."

Josef nodded and turned back to the walkway. Simone watched him disappear at the top of the path before settling into his vacated chair and sliding her glass of wine close to where she could reach it.

She stared at the reflection of the torches' flames flickering off of the glass as thoughts of a disposition for a lawsuit she needed to finalize on came to mind. Work always served as a helpful distraction for her; pushing things that bother her in the rear view mirror in favor for hours and hours of having her nose buried in a law book.

Simone was in such deep thought that she failed to notice a dark shadow rustling through the vineyard below the small hill where the gazebo rested at breakneck speed. The shadow leapt from the rows of vines hanging from the wooden support stakes into the air, landing on the edge of the granite slab of the gazebo floor.

Simone jerked her head over her shoulder with a start, nearly knocking her chair over as she shot to her feet at the sight of the new arrival, dressed from head to foot in black. "What the hell?"

The shadow closed the six feet of distance between them in the blink of an eye, grabbing Simone by her forearm to prevent her from running, while clamping a gloved hand over her mouth. Her eyes bulged open as she struggled to free herself, but the effort quickly lessened as the seconds passed. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she collapsed into her masked attacker's arms.

The man easily placed Simone's unconscious body in the chair she vacated. Ensured that she could not slide out onto the floor, he tilted his head slightly to the ceiling as if inspecting the beams of the gazebo.

Gloved hands reached up to remove the mask from his head. Lance smoothed his hair and dusted the remains of the capsule that held Malcolm's sleeping agent from his glove.

A pair of footprints landed lightly behind him. Lance barely glanced over his shoulder. "What kept you?"

The vampire, a brunette, growled slightly as she stepped past him to look up the walkway at the house. "Sorry. I'm not use to this kind of work."

"The house staff should be unconscious by now. Still, Malcolm will not take kindly to such an aggressive action being taken without his authorization."

Lance held a cell phone out to her. "Call Lucas. Call one of Malcolm's people who were watching Sanders Securities."

The vampire sighed. "We tried that already."

"Exactly. They're not answering, and do you know why? They're dead, and if my sister had anything to do with it, our fearless leader's grand plan is starting to unravel." Lance slid his phone back into his jacket and glanced down at Simone's inert form. He used one long fingernail to move a lock of hair from her face.

"If I hadn't met that hitchhiker on the road, I'd be tempted to sample this beauty," he whispered, pulling out a small, sealed envelope and placed it on the table in front of her before straightening.

"I think it's time to meet the esteemed Josef Kostan."

#

Mick and Beth pulled away from each other and stared into each other eyes for a long moment as she sat on top of him. Mick started to speak but hesitated, unsure of what to say.

Beth smiled. "I'm very sure that you have seen a naked woman before, Mr. St. John."

A look of uneasiness grew on Mick's face. "It's not that, Beth." He dropped his hands from her waist to fall on the couch. "Are you sure you're ready?"

Beth reached for Mick's hands and placed them back in their original positions on her body. "As sure as I have ever been of anything."

A smile slowly replaced the worry on Mick's face as Beth slid off of him and onto the couch, pulling him on top of her. They began kissing her again as she reached for his belt.

She was about to pull it through the loops of his jeans when a knock at the door interrupted their session. Mick immediately looked at the door with senses beyond normal sight and frowned.

"We have guests," he said.

Beth ceased her moving, her hand still grasping his belt. "Who is it?"

Mick zoomed in on the wall monitor displaying an image of two familiar women outside of his door. He slid from the couch to his feet while his belt, still in Beth's hand, slid through the loops to fall on the floor.

"Allison Lindsey and Alexandra Sanders are at the door," he said, reaching for the shirts discarded on the floor.

A second series of knocks, more forceful, caused Beth to roll off of the couch onto the floor with a start. She recovered just in time to catch the shirt Mick tossed at her.

"Go," he whispered, gesturing to the stairs

Beth obeyed as Mick slipped his t-shirt over his head. Running his fingers through his hair, he opened the door.

Sanders had the butt of her pistol poised to rap on the outside of the door. "St. John," she said, lowering her weapon. "Welcome to the land of the living."

"Alexandra. Totally unexpected." Mick looked past her at Allison. "And Allison. It's nice to see you again. I understand I owe you one for helping Beth in finding me."

"You want to settle that debt?" Sanders took a step forward, sliding her pistol into the inside of her jacket. "I need to speak with Beth Turner. Can you help me find her? She wasn't at her apartment, so Allison thought she'd be here with you."

"Miss Sanders?" Beth stepped into view from behind Mick, dressed in the blouse and jeans she wore earlier. " I thought you were in the hospital."

Mick noted the brace around Sanders' right wrist and the discoloring around her right eye. She noticed the scrutiny and glanced away. "Duty called, Miss Turner. I answered."

Beth gave a small shrug. "Okay. Well, what can I do for you?"

Sanders gave her a thin smile before looking expectantly back at Mick, who stepped to the side and allowed the women to enter the apartment. Sanders unfolded a sheet of paper as she said, "I heard you visited my offices earlier today to meet with Dr. Ellis."

"That's right." Beth nodded as Mick closed the door. "Mick was being drugged by that man. I wanted to know what Ellis was doping him with."

"Understood." Sanders held the sheet close to her chest. "You were accompanied by St. John's ex-wife?"

Beth felt a sense of dread beginning to grow inside of her. "What is this about?"

Sanders finally held out the sheet of paper for Mick and Beth to see. It was an image of Coraline standing at the entrance to Sanders Securities' underground parking facilities. "It seems the tour she got the first time out didn't work for her, so she came back for a late night, in-depth, _unauthorized_ one."

Allison stepped forward. "Beth, our building was attacked tonight. It was Malcolm Rehnquist."

The news Allison announced startled both Mick and Beth. "Was anyone hurt?" queried Mick.

"Fortunately, no." Sanders folded the paper and stuffed it into her pocket. "Allison, one of my department heads, and myself, we were knocked out with some sleeping agent introduced through the building's AC units. But Dr. Ellis was taken."

Sanders walked over to the bookcase along the far wall. "I don't think your ex-wife had anything to do with Ellis' kidnapping, St. John, but she was the only one my secondary video feeds picked up due to my primary video feeds getting hacked to death, and then demagnetized. I need to speak with her."

A beep issued from Sanders' phone which she carried in her hand. She looked down at it and swiped the screen several times, her brow creasing more with each hurried swipe. Beth shot a worried glance at Mick and received a equal look in return.

Finally Sanders lowered her phone and looked at Beth. "Correction. It seems that Ms. Duvall _was_ involved in taking Dr. Ellis. We have pictures and video of several masked individuals along with her and the doctor in my parking garage. Judging from the tech they're using, we're dealing with pros on this one."

Allison reached for Sanders' phone. "What kind of tech are they using?"

With Allison holding the phone, Sanders swiped to one of of the pictures. "Their faces are concealed with some type of shielding. It's like a white, pixelated dot covering their heads."

Sanders looked over at Beth. "Obviously I can't make you do anything. We were holding him without due process, the whole nine. So, in the spirit of fairness, I think I am owed some sort of explanation."

Mick sighed and gestured for all the women to sit down. Sanders hesitated at first, but moved to sit in one of the love seats across from the couch. Allison took the other while Mick and Beth sat down on the couch.

"I don't want to hide anything from you, Alexandra. You're smart enough to where you would probably pick up on everything with little effort. Yes, my ex-wife there, but she had nothing to do with Ellis being kidnapped. At least not for the reason you're probably thinking."

"Okay. Then what was she doing there?"

Mick glanced at Beth. "She was _thinking_ about kidnapping Ellis."

A faint grin formed on Sanders' face. She glanced briefly at Allison and chuckled to herself. "I'm sorry, everyone. I had my hearing tested a while back. Doc said I have a slight loss in the right ear. Possibly from all the shooting I've done over the years. It sounded like you said she was _thinking_ about kidnapping the doctor."

"For your staff's protection, believe me. You have no idea who you're dealing with here. Rehnquist is dangerous. He would probably had killed you along with everyone in your building to get Ellis back. So Coraline was watching the building to ensure your safety."

"Chances are she saw something out of the ordinary and took matters in her own hands," added Beth.

Sanders crossed her arms again, considering their words. Mick rose and stepped close to her seat. "Trust me on this," he implored. "Forget about Rehnquist and the doctor. Let me handle this."

Sanders looked up at Mick for a long minute, finally shaking her head and sighing in defeat. "All right, St. John. You have twenty-four hours. Rehnquist had better be gone, Ellis … back on Ellis Island or whatever. I want this over with."

She started to turn for the door, but stopped and pointed at Mick. "I want him _gone._ Or this time tomorrow, I go to war."

She moved for the door and opened it. Sending a glance over her shoulder at Allison, she proceeded out to the hall. Allison squeezed Beth's hand briefly before following, closing the door behind her.

Beth watched Mick as he hurriedly pulled his cellphone from his pocket. "Who are you calling?"

He raised the phone to his ear. "Coraline. We need to talk to this doctor and find Rehnquist now."

While Mick moved into the kitchen, Beth's phone vibrated on the couch. She walked around and reached for it, grinning mischievously at the discarded belt on the floor.

Simone's name was displayed on the screen. "Hi, Simone. I thought you were with Sarah tonight."

"Beth, you and Mick needs to get to Sarah's winery right now! Sarah's been kidnapped and Josef's hurt!"

#

Mick parked the Mercedes a few feet from the front door of the mansion and hastily exited. Guillermo opened the passenger door and whistled as he took him the scenery. "Wow. Humans do know how to spend money, huh?"

Mick ignored him as the front doors opened and Simone stepped outside. "The staff is outside trying to ascertain what happened. That should give you time to get him out of here before someone decides to call the police."

Mick nodded and rushed past her and up the stairs at a speed no track star could ever match. He followed the scent of blood into a room with double doors close to the back far corner of the house and came to an abrupt halt at the scene before him.

Josef laid motionless in a pool of blood on a clear plastic tarp that was covering a settee against the far wall. His shirt was ripped opened, exposing nearly two dozen open wounds in his torso. Streaks of blood ran from a few of the wounds down the side of his body onto his shirt or the tarp. A mask of crimson covered his face from his temple to his chin while his right eyelid gaped open, an empty socket.

Mick stared at the form of his oldest friend in shock, taking one agonizing step after another towards him until he finally stood over his inert body. It took him several seconds before he could kneel down and grasp Josef's hand. It felt warm to the touch, an ill-fated sign for vampires. "Oh, Josef," he whispered. "What did they do?"

As if in response, Josef's body suddenly seized as he coughed a large geyser of blood into the air. He coughed several more times, turning over onto his side to allow more blood to flow from his mouth and open wounds on the tarp beneath him."

"I'll tell you what he did, buddy of mine." He said weakly as his left eye, almost a sickly clouded shade locked onto Mick. "He kicked my ass."

Mick quickly pushed back the joy of hearing his friend speak. "Who did this to you, Josef? Who did this?"

Josef struggled to prop himself on one elbow. He failed and fell back onto the tarp, his face withering in pain. His left hand reached for Mick's shoulder and he pulled him down close enough for him to whisper one word into Mick's ear.

"Lance."

#

Mick slammed the car door behind Guillermo, who had climbed into the backseat to begin administering to Josef. He almost ran over Simone, who was standing by the driver side door. "Simone, get out of the way!"

"Wait!" The woman held out an envelope to Mick. "The one who jumped me, he left this on the table outside for me when I woke up. It's for you."

Mick hurriedly shoved the envelope into his pocket as he slid into the car. Within seconds the Mercedes sped through the gates and back towards the city.

#


	14. Chapter 13

_Chapter Twelve_

 _Taken_

Even a hastily sent phone call to Josef's assistants did not begin to prepare them for what to expect when Mick pulled his car into the expansive garage two hundred yards behind Kostan's mansion.

When Adrian peered into the backseat and saw his employer covered in blood halfway down his nearly still body, he took a step back, overcome with shock. Ryder England, Josef's computer specialist, had to push past Adrian to help Guillermo ease Josef out of the car. The motion was enough to make Adrian come to his senses, and he helped them carry Josef to the freezer unit set up in a nearby office.

Guillermo quickly inspected the inner lining of the freezer before closing the lid. "Good. There are hooks inside to hang the blood bags inside while he's sealed up."

Mick entered the office with Guillermo's cooler from the car. "Do you think you have enough?"

Guillermo opened the lid and glanced inside. "I doubt it," he said. "For his knife wounds, maybe. Barely. But we're talking about organ regeneration here. I checked his eye and the nerves aren't cauterized. It was simply snatched out. That's a plus. But it's still a lot of work to do."

Mick set the cooler down beside Josef's freezer. "Tell me what you need."

"I have this A positive with me now. It's best to stay under one type so not to slow the process. How many bags did I leave at your place?"

Mick struggled to think. "I don't know. A dozen, I believe. And I have about eight to ten in my stash."

Guillermo opened the cooler and pulled out three bags with needles and lines attached. "Call Beth and ask her to bring everything she can. I'll get started with what I have."

Mick nodded and stepped outside into the garage. Josef's Ferrari, two limousines, SUV, and four motorcycles rested throughout the spacious structure with room to spare for twice that number comfortably. A fully equipped maintenance bay sat empty in front of the open garage door closest to the office. Simone was standing just outside talking with Ryder when she saw him. "Mick, how is he?"

He rubbed his forehead as he glanced at the closed door behind him. "Time will tell, but he's … he's hanging on. Guillermo's with him now."

He sighed and looked down at her. "I'm sorry, Simone. I appreciate you calling me, but now I need you to tell me what happened up there."

Simone quickly recounted everything that occurred; from her dinner with Sarah and planning the dinner party for the following night, to Josef's unexpected arrival, to their conversation.

"I sat outside alone while Josef went inside to talk to Sarah, and that was when I was attacked. Whoever it was, he had something in his glove that knocked me out. When I came to, I ran up to the house and saw everyone else was unconscious. I began looking for Sarah, and ... I found Josef. That's when I called you."

Simone began to cry, but she wiped at her tears angrily. "I have had just about enough of Malcolm Rehnquist and his twisted horde of vampires, Mick," she said through gritted teeth. "You promise me that when you find Sarah, you make them pay. She's been through enough. We've all been through enough."

"I will," said Mick, reaching into his pocket for his phone. "First thing's first. I have to call Beth and ask her to bring all the A positive from my place. Josef might need it."

His hand closed not on his phone, but folded paper stuffed inside his pocket. He pulled it out and remembered it was the envelope Simone gave him at the winery earlier. "You said this was left with you?"

Simone nodded. "It was the first thing I noticed when I woke up."

Mick glanced down at his left hand holding the envelope, fighting to ignore the blood coating his skin. Terrible thoughts begin to creep into his consciousness. He quelled them down as he opened it and pulled out a small piece of paper.

Simone leaned in close. "Where's Sarah? What does it say?"

Mick raised his gaze up to her eyes.

"It seems Malcolm may have had enough as well."

#

Lance slammed against Malcolm's car from the vicious backhand strike he received. He slid down its side to one knee as he rubbed feeling back into his jaw. "I must say, Claudia, you're losing your touch. You were much better at this a hundred years ago."

"You better hope you don't lose your head over this." Claudia Oxford bared her fangs as she reached down and grabbed Lance by his collar. She slammed him back first into the stone stanchion of the parking garage they were staged in.

"Malcolm left explicit instructions that the Whitley woman was not to be involved in any way! And I find out that you kidnapped her?! He will take your head for this!"

Lance snarled. "If I hadn't made a move, this little soirée will last well into the next century. I have better things to do with my time."

Claudia glared at him, unsure of whether to grab him again or walk away in anger. She settled for turning her back to him, rubbing her head in frustration.

Lance took a tentative step forward. "Trust me, Claudia. When he sees what I have planned, even he will be appreciative of my efforts." He curled his right hand slightly into the sleeve of his coat as he spoke. "But while we're speaking of our beloved benefactor, where is he and your brother?"

"They're at the hotel trying to figure out where Dr. Ellis is being held." Claudia tapped the window of the car with a fingernail before turning back to Lance. "Now, I need a -"

His hand sliced across Claudia's throat so fast that it was already back at his side for a full two seconds before she realized he had even moved. She stared at him, perplexed, until she felt something wet down her blouse. She looked and saw it was blood.

She instinctively reached up to her neck with her hands, but it was a futile effort. Her blood gushed from the gash in her throat between her fingers onto the surface of the parking garage, forming a pool around her knees as she fell.

More blood frothed from her mouth as she looked up at Lance who wiped the blood off of his short sword with a handkerchief. He put a finger to his lips as he crouched in front of her. "Don't talk, my dear. Save your energy, for I want you to know as these last few seconds of your life tick away that I'm finally rid of you, and in a few hours, I'll finally be rid of St. John, and your precious Malcolm."

Claudia gasped as she stretched out to grab Lance, but he quickly back away with a laugh. Her miss caused her to fall prone to the floor. A low gurgle issued from her blood stained mouth for several seconds and stopped, almost at the same time as all motion ceased.

Lance rose to his feet and slid his blade into his jacket as he took several steps away. His phone was in his hand and he dialed a number. The recipient of the call answered. "Yes?"

"Catherine, were you able to stash our guest in her new suite?"

"As you requested."

"And as for the second guest?"

"I'm standing outside her door now."

The flickering of the lights in the garage reflected off of Lance's black eye orb. "Excellent. Call me when they're both together."

He disconnected the call and glanced down at Claudia's body. He bent down and closed her eyes while dialing another number. As he straightened, the call connected.

"David. I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but Claudia's dead."

A long pause. "We were separated at Sanders Securities when our associates were ambushed. I found her in a parking garage a few blocks away. Her throat … it was slashed. I found her lying in a pool of her own blood."

Another pause. "Of course. I'll bring her body, but there was something left with her that I think Malcolm will want to see."

He smiled as he turned a sealed envelope in his fingers, an envelope similar to the one he had left at the winery.

"Something very important."

#

Beth slid the secret panel aside in the kitchen and reached in for the bags of plasma Mick kept for his use. "And he didn't say where he was going?"

"No. He read the note I gave him, asked me to call you to bring the blood here, and took off." Even through the speakerphone of Beth's cellphone resting on the counter, Beth could hear the worry in Simone's voice. "Beth, I have seen vampires angry. _This_ was totally different."

"I'll try calling him before I leave." Beth carefully placed the bags in a cooler packed with ice on the counter. "How's Josef doing?"

Simone hesitated to answer, causing Beth to fear the worst. "Your friend, Guillermo, he's been working nonstop on him. He said he had to do the same when you found Mick, but the wounds Josef suffered are much more severe. It may be weeks before he even begins to recover."

Beth closed and secured the cooler. "Okay, I'll wait to call Mick until I get this blood into Guillermo's hands. Sounds like time is of the essence."

"I'll be here."

Beth ended the call and dropped her phone into her purse. She slid a jacket on and slung her purse over her shoulder before grabbing the cooler.

She looked down to make sure the cooler was closed shut as she opened the door, nearly bumping into a towering female standing just outside. She had an athletic shape with short blonde hair styled in a bob. "Oh! I'm sorry, I wasn't watching -"

The woman bared her fangs in Beth's face. She instinctively shot a right cross across the woman's jaw which would have felled a normal opponent. The vampire smiled as she used her tongue to lick away a spot of blood from her lips before pushing Beth's head bodily into the wall. She fell to the floor still clutching the cooler, dazed.

The woman smiled down at her. "Miss Turner. It's a pleasure to meet you."

#

Simone nervously stepped off the elevator onto Mick's floor. She rounded the corner heading towards his loft, stopping when she spotted a phone and the cooler rested on the floor in front of the door.

She slowly walked up to the objects and knelt down. She placed her hand on top of the container and breathed a sigh of relief that it was still secure before turning her attention to the cell phone. The screen was unlocked, and she noted eight missed calls; three from her, and five from Mick.

Simone rose to her feet with the phone and noticed a small envelope that was resting underneath. She picked it up and opened it, noting it was similar to the one left with her at the winery.

A minute later, she was back on the elevator with the cooler under her arm, and phone to her ear. "I tell you, Mick, she was taken," she said, pressing the DOWN button. "Her phone and the blood was left outside of your door."

Simone thought she heard Mick swear under his breath. "Was there anything else left behind? Any clue that shows where she was taken?"

Simone held up the piece of paper she had taken out of the envelope. "Yeah. And you are not going to like it."

#

Magnus McClane watched as Mick tossed his phone in his car behind him and ran his fingers through his hair, clearly agitated. He descended the steps of his Gulfstream to the hangar floor. "You look like you just got some bad news, lad."

Mick turned to the Archivist. "Malcolm's taken Beth to Victorville. Back to the hotel where he had me holed up for three weeks."

McClane remained silent for several seconds. "I am sorry, St. John. I like that young woman. Lot of fire for a human. What are you going to do?"

Mick opened the trunk of his car and pulled out his weapons bag. "I'm going to find her, and end this once and for all."

McClane shook his head at the assortment of mini crossbows, stakes, and knives Mick had. He turned his head to yell over his shoulder, "Xavier! Bring me Armagh!"

Several seconds later, now dressed in a white polo shirt with a gold Marine Corps logo and jeans, Xavier King descended from the plane with a long, black case. He placed it on the hood of Mick's car. "I know it's serious if you're calling for your first sword."

"It's not for me." McClane undid the latches and opened the case to reveal a longsword with a crucifix-shaped hilt wrapped tightly in a worn strap of leather.

"Armagh was the only thing I escaped Belfast with in the 17th century," he said as he removed the sword from the case. "Many museums have offered me a fortune for it because of its authenticity, but they have no idea what it's used for."

McClane turned to Mick and held the weapon out by the hilt. "A bastard like Rehnquist, he may carry a sword around himself. If he does, you should be prepared."

Mick hefted the sword, admiring its edges and weight. "What are you going to do with the doctor?"

McClane looked up at the entrance to the plane. "I think he had an idea of what he was doing, but by the time it got serious, it was too late to get out. And dealing with a group of vampires, who could get out if they wanted to?"

"We're taking him back to Detroit tomorrow, but if you need BloodMeld for backup, I can get the group together in five minutes," said King.

Mick placed the sword back in the case and secured the latches before sliding it through the window into the backseat. As an afterthought, he grabbed his phone. "Thanks, but I have a better idea."

#

David Oxford looked down at the body of his sister lying on the bed of the hotel room in silent rage. He grasped her hand and squeezed it tightly as he whispered stories of their many years together.

He did not flinch when a solid hand grasped his right shoulder from behind. "I can't tell you how truly sorry I am, David," Malcolm said, giving the shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Claudia meant the world to me."

David released his sister's hand, continuing to gaze upon her still form. "I want his head, Malcolm," he whispered. He did not turn around. "I want his skull holding his ashes."

"He will get what is coming to him, David. In the meantime, I need you to make preparations to return to Paris."

David turned around to protest, but Malcolm cut him off with one finger in the air. "We are all that is left. It would take me at least a full day for our New York office to send more resources. The doctor is gone. I have no idea who is helping St. John, but we're outnumbered."

He placed both of his hands on David's shoulders. "Your sister deserves a proper funeral. And you deserve a moment to mourn."

David looked down at his feet for a minute, unsure of whether to protest his employer's command or concede. "I will be a much better aide to you than Lance," he said, glancing over to the side of the room where Lance stared out of the window in silence.

Malcolm released David and took a step back. "Lance will be going home with you as well," he said. "The final battle will be mine and mine alone."

Lance turned and walked over to Malcolm holding a folded piece of paper between his fingers. "This was left with her body," he said, holding it out to him.

Malcolm accepted the paper and unfolded it. He read it carefully for a full minute before nodding and slipped it into a pocket. "It seems our story will end where it all began in Victorville," he said.

He turned to David and grasped his shoulder a final time. "Make the preparations, David. Do it now."

Malcolm turned for the door to exit the room, pausing only to gesture for Lance to follow. They both stepped outside and walked down the hallway to the elevator.

Malcolm pressed the DOWN button and they waited in silence for several seconds until he said, "You are planning on killing David as well, aren't you?"

Lance nearly took a step away from Malcolm, utterly shocked at the question. Malcolm stared straight ahead at the doors as he said, "I know you have wanted me dead for quite some time, Lance. This plan you hatched? Quite brilliant. I have no idea what awaits me in Victorville. I may die. I may live. I have no idea."

He glanced over at Lance, smiling as the doors to the elevator opened. "The whole experience is oddly … refreshing."

Malcolm stepped through the doors and turned around to face Lance. He still wore a smile as his eyes fell upon him. "Whatever awaits me, you have better hope it kills me. You have better hope I do not return. Because if I do, there won't be a place in the world where you can hide from me."

The doors finally closed, and Lance finally took an uncertain step back from the elevator. He stared at it for a long moment, the last words Malcolm spoke still ringing in his ears as they were bellowed through a loudspeaker than recited in a normal conversation.

He sighed and turned back to the hotel room, pulling his short sword from its hidden sheath as he stepped through the door.

#

Brandishing her customary .22, the Cleaner slowly eased the door opened with a gloved hand. The stench of freshly spilled blood had hit her even before she even stepped off the elevator, so following it to its starting point was easy.

She spotted the female vampire on the bed almost immediately. A hurried examination determined that she had been dead for quite some time, with the five inch gash across her throat as the obvious cause of death.

But the blood from the vampire's wound was relatively dry. Not what her heightened vampire senses had detected. A more detailed search was in order.

Ten seconds later, she found the source.

#

"David and Claudia Oxford," Harper Ryan announced, straightening with her tablet balanced in her left hand as she sat on the closed toilet in the bathroom. "These two basically tore Paris a new one about two hundred years ago before they disappeared from the Archivist's radar. He had no clue what they were up to."

She glanced down into the tub where David Oxford's decapitated corpse was callously thrown on top of his sister's body and shuddered. "Did you … put them in the tub like this? Because I'm not liking where this is going."

"Yes, you're correct on both accounts. I put them there and you will not like where this is going." The Cleaner leaned against the doorframe of the bathroom with her arms crossed. "This reminds me of a clean up I did a while back. A scientist who I believe was working for St. John's ex-wife. His head was cleanly taken off. Had to be by a sword. I don't see many of those."

"Hmm. A sword. Let's see." Ryan's fingers danced across her tablet screen. "There aren't that many out there nowadays that employs the use of a sword. Well, besides my esteemed colleague from Detroit."

Her eyes scanned the contents displayed on the screen. "There are five vampires listed. One definitely confirmed in the form of Magnus McClane. Three haven't been active in three decades and no connection to the Oxfords, or Malcolm Rehnquist, and …"

She looked up at the Cleaner with a wide grin. "I think we have our murderer," she exclaimed, passing the tablet over.

The Cleaner looked down at the screen and gasped.

#

Beth felt the heat from a lamp shining beside her as she came to. She slowly turned her head to ease feeling into her stiff neck while rolling her left shoulder. The rope binding her wrists behind her back prevented her from doing more than a miniscule shrug. She noted her ankles were similarly bound.

The chair she sat in was hard and rickety, but the room's interior was what caught her eye. The wood paneling, the umkempt bed she sat beside, the dirty carpet, the hole in the bathroom door …

 _Oh no._

She heard a soft groan coming from the corner of the room, on the other side of the bed. She leaned forward as far as she could and gasped as Sarah Whitley raised her head from her chest, blinking wildly. She was bound and secured to the chair she was sitting in. "Sarah," she whispered. "Are you alright?"

Sarah struggled to focus her eyes in the direction where Beth's voice was coming from. "Beth? Ow. They used that damn sleep gas again. It messes with my eyes."

"Who? Who used sleep gas on you?"

The blinking slowed to a normal pace, and Sarah relaxed slightly. "It wasn't Rehnquist, but he used this same sleeping gas on me before we arrived here in Los Angeles."

Beth took another look around the room they were held in for positive confirmation. "We're not in L.A.," she breathed.

"What? We're not in Los Angeles? How do you know?"

"This is a hotel about forty minutes outside of L.A., heading towards Victorville. Mick had to hide out here from someone who was trying to kill a federal witness … a friend, actually, that he was protecting. In fact, they camped out in this very same room."

Sarah finally looked around the room herself. "How do you know you're in that particular room?"

Beth gestured with her head towards the bathroom door. The movement caused her to wince slightly. "Mick killed the assassin by punching through that door and breaking the guy's neck."

"Mick." Sarah chuckled to herself. "I bet he's moving heaven and Earth right now trying to find you. God only knows what Josef is doing."

Beth hesitated, wondering if she should divulge Kostan's dire condition. Before she could speak, the window beside Sarah brightened as car headlights shone through for ten seconds before they were extinguished. One car door opened and closed. The two women looked at each other and at the closed exit. They simultaneously struggled with their bonds, but their fight only served in the ropes cutting deep into their flesh.

Sarah stopped her battle, breathing heavily. "Beth?"

With a loud crash, the door tore away from its hinges, slamming into the wall and broken bathroom door just in front of Beth. She ducked her head as splinters of wood showered over her.

Both women looked up and watched Malcolm Rehnquist slowly walked into the room. The expression on his face was mixed with anger and surprise as he took note of the occupants in the room.

"Well, I think I finally know what Lance was up to. He has been a busy, little vampire."

The two women gave each other a puzzled look. Sarah spoke up first. "You mean to tell me you had nothing to do with us being kidnapped."

"It wasn't him who grabbed me." Beth forced herself to look up at Malcolm. "It was a female vampire. One I had never seen before. Very tall. Blonde. Short hair barely past her neck."

"Catherine Xavier," said Malcolm. He paced the room, angrily clenching and unclenching his fists. "Sounds like her. She sired Cynthia Xavier Davis nearly four centuries ago, and clearly is here for more than a leisurely tour of Los Angeles."

He looked at Beth and Sarah and sighed. "In any case, Lance orchestrated your kidnappings to eliminate either me, St. John, or both."

"Then it wasn't you who nearly killed Josef Kostan?" asked Beth.

Sarah gave Malcolm an angry look. "Josef's … hurt? What did you do to him, you bastard?!"

Malcolm gave the women a puzzled look. "I - I didn't harm Kostan in any way, shape, or form. I swear."

Beth suddenly felt a glimmer of hope. She looked up at Malcolm with pleading eyes. "Then it's not too late. You didn't do this. You didn't hurt Josef. Free us. Let us go. I - I can explain it to Mick. Let me help end this so that we can all get on with our lives."

Malcolm started to answer, but turned his head in the direction of the doorless exit. He remained still for three seconds before refocusing his attention on Beth.

"It appears that even if I wanted to, it will be too late, my dear."

He turned for the exit. Before he stepped through, he glanced over at Sarah. She stared back, clearly confused.

Malcolm did not say anything. He simply gave her a short nod before walking outside.

#

Mick turned off the highway into the hotel lot. He thought about parking close to the front, but decided it would be better to keep the vehicle close to him. He made his way to the room where he was incapacitated while waiting for Beth with Leni Hayes, the young woman he was charged with protecting what seemed like a lifetime ago.

Thoughts of the young woman and her infant son, Jack, immediately disappeared as he noticed a vehicle parked in front of that very same room. Mick could see the door was off of its hinges and the room had sufficient light. Light framing Malcolm Rehnquist as he stood just outside the door, wielding what appeared to be …

 _A sword? He really has a_ sword?!

Mick came to an halt several feet away from the other vehicle. He turned off the vehicle and stared through the windshield at Malcolm, who stared back with an impassive look.

Mick got out of the car, reached in the back seat and pulled out McClane's sword. He carefully grasped the weapon as he straightened and withdrew from the car.

"Well," he muttered to himself. "Let's do this."

#


	15. Chapter 14

_Chapter Thirteen_

 _All Things Must Come To An End_

Guillermo opened the cooler and exhaled in relief. "My girl Beth. She came through." He closed the cooler and tapped the lid with his fingers. "This should help Josef."

He started to turn away from Simone, who stood outside his self-made medical bay in the garage, but caught the look of concern on her face. "I know you're worried about Beth," he said softly as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't be. Mick will find her and Sarah Whitley. He won't let anything happen to either one of them."

Simone smiled weakly at Guillermo. "Do you mind if I gave you a hand with Josef? If I keep myself busy, it could help keep my mind off of things."

Guillermo glanced down at the cooler's contents. "This isn't a beer or wine, Simone. I'm pumping him full of this stuff. It … might gross you out."

Simone gave a nonchalant wave of her hand. "Oh please, Guillermo! I've watched Josef chew into my arm like fruit! It's fine, believe me."

Guillermo thought of Adrian's more than usual ashen face when they had first brought Josef in, and noted Simone's strong countenance. "Sure," he said, steering Simone to Josef's freezer. "I could use the help."

#

The two vampires stood still as statues, eyes locked onto each other, both wielding long swords in their dominant hand, separated by twenty feet of desert-covered parking lot.

Mick tilted his chin slightly in the air, as if he picked up a long lost scent. "I hear Beth and Sarah behind you," he said, twirling McClane's sword in his hand. "Why kidnap them? Why did you involve them?"

Malcolm started to speak. Instead, he slowly began to walk to his right in a long arc. Mick took the the hint and immediately began doing the same.

"You won't believe me, St. John. After everything that has happened for the course of a month, you will never believe me, but I'll tell you anyway. This was all Lance's doing. I had nothing to do with Miss Turner and Miss Whitley's kidnapping. I meant them no harm."

Mick considered this as he continued his slow arc to the door leading into the hotel room. He took care to match his steps with Malcolm's. "You had nothing to do with taking Beth? You really expect me to believe that?"

"Do you remember Catherine Xavier?"

Mick took several seconds to recall the person whose name Malcolm mentioned. "She sired Cynthia Davis. About four centuries old. I never met her but I heard she hated me just as much as Cynthia did."

"Probably more." Malcolm approached his car and ran a finger across the hood. "She is obviously bent on revenge for Cynthia's death, which is why she came into town and assisted Lance with everything. Miss Turner's kidnapping. Miss Whitley's kidnapping. Kostan's assault. Everything."

Mick was more than three quarters of the way to the door. He forced himself not to run inside; hearing their voices eased his fears. "But you came here on your own with a vendetta to take me down. You kept me locked up here for over three weeks drugged out of my mind. You put Alexandra Sanders in the hospital. You had a death sentence passed on my friend. And this is because of who? Lance?"

He reached the entrance to the room. Instead of walking in, he pointed his sword at the vampire. "I am going to kill him. I'm going to kill Lance, and I'm going to kill you, Malcolm."

"Yes, it seems like a battle to the death is inevitable," Malcolm said sadly. He took two steps before coming to a stop on the spot where Mick had stood. He looked down at it for a second before gesturing to the door behind Mick.

"Check on your friends. I'll wait for you out here."

Mick hesitated. He stared long at Malcolm for several seconds before slowly backing into the room. Malcolm remained standing where he was, tracing grooves into the dirt with his blade.

Beth and Sarah ceased talking when Mick stepped into view. "Mick! Thank God," said Beth, falling back into her chair.

Mick tossed the sword onto the bed and reached behind Sarah with a knife. "Are you two alright?"

Sarah nodded, rubbing her wrists once Mick had cut her bonds. He quickly moved over to Beth. "Did he hurt you at all?"

"He got here a few minutes before you did." Beth looked into Mick's eyes. "I don't think he had anything to do with kidnapping us."

Mick finished cutting Beth's restraints and gently pulled her to her feet, hastily sliding something in Beth's pocket as he did so. "I'm starting to get the same feeling. Sounds like Lance set everything up hoping that we rip each other's throats out."

He retrieved McClane's sword and led the women outside. True to his word, Malcolm was in the same spot, sword still pointed to the ground. "You see? They're safe."

Mick turned to Beth and Sarah. "I want you two to run to the left. Head out past the office and take the road. Don't worry. I have someone out here who will be looking for you."

Sarah took several tentative steps in the direction he indicated, but Beth remained where she stood. "You better take care of yourself," she said, grasping his free hand. "That couch is calling our name."

Mick smiled down at her. He started to kiss her, but instead gestured to where Sarah waited. "Go," he whispered.

Beth squeezed his hand and let it go before turning to Sarah. Together they hurried down the covered walkway to the office, and front of the abandoned hotel.

Malcolm watched their departure. "They'll probably be safe in that direction," he said. "As I said a few minutes ago, I meant them no harm. I'm sorry they were involved."

Mick softly chuckled as he turned to give Malcolm an incredulous look. "You're _sorry?_ You're sorry you brought a woman who was in a coma into a world she has no clue about. You used that woman to manipulate my best friend and force him to betray me and give me up to you. You drugged and tortured the hell out of me for three weeks. Everyone close to me, you manipulated, strung along, hooked in your sick and twisted plot … until we're here."

"Yes, we are." Malcolm smiled. "You don't know the entire story behind Sarah's miraculous recovery. Maybe I'll share it with you."

He gestured behind Mick to the empty room. "A touch of irony. Lance placing the women in the very same room where you were so close to death last year. He has a twisted mind, doesn't he?"

The anger on Mick's face disappeared, replaced with confusion. "How - how do you know?"

"Ah, the things we talked about during your time as my guest here." Malcolm twirled his sword in his hand until he gripped the hilt with the blade pointing down and drove it into the ground.

As the weapon slowly rocked back and forth, he took one step forward, then another. "We must have talked about everything. The time you thought you had killed Coraline while saving Beth Turner as a child. How you entered Miss Turner's life again years later. The regret you felt for falling in love with your best friend's wife. Not being able to speak with your father before he died. Wanting a life of normalcy with Miss Turner. I could go on and on."

Malcolm took four more steps closer to Mick. The distance between them was nearly cut to half. "I admit when we first started, you weren't a big talker. I must have dropped ten different combinations of injections into you before you starting talking about the night after your wedding to Miss Turner."

Mick stared at Malcolm in shock, realizing the dreams he thought he had were not dreams. "I told you everything," he breathed.

"Yes, you did." Malcolm's next few steps were brisk. "Oh, I already heard the story you shared with me about attempting to kill Coraline. The injection we concocted against fire was still in the experimental stages back then. We hadn't even tested it yet. Coraline proved to be a most useful, albeit extremely pissed off test subject. I was very pleased with the results."

He leaned in close as if examining Mick, though he was still a handful of steps away. "One nasty side effect of the drugs is that they can cause hallucinations. Urges. Feelings of defeat and deep remorse. Judging from the expression on your face, you may have experienced an episode or two. I would wager that you saw your hand covered … in blood, for instance?"

Mick glanced down at his free hand and gasped when he saw it covered in a shade of crimson. He staggered back against the hotel wall, hurriedly wiping his hand against his pants leg.

Malcolm closed the distance between him and Mick, smiling. "You accused me of almost killing Josef Kostan. I swear to you that I had nothing to do with it. For all his years of existence and all of his wealth, he is … beneath me."

He steered Mick by the elbow to peer into the empty hotel room. "But maybe you did. Maybe you slashed his throat and left your best friend for dead."

Mick almost wanted to dig his eyes out at the sight of Josef lying on the bed, his eyes staring lifelessly at him. His head was canted at a horrible angle as his throat was slashed as if by a wild animal. He fell to his knees in anguish.

"But we know you and Josef are the best of friends." Malcolm stood behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We both know you would never do anything like that to your best friend. We know he is off somewhere receiving the best of possible care."

Mick squeezed his eyes close, fighting to shut out the heinous sight. When he opened them seconds later, he saw the bed was empty. He looked down at his hand, slowly turning it over.

"No blood?" asked Malcolm. He removed his hand from Mick's shoulder. "Hallucination. It took me decades before I was able to figure out that anyone under the influence of the drugs are susceptible to a carefully placed suggestion. Anything given transforms into a full-blown vision."

Mick's head lowered almost to his chest as he stared at his hands listlessly. Malcolm walked away from him towards his sword and pulled it from the ground. He hefted the weapon as he reached into his jacket at his back.

"I so enjoyed our time together," he said. "But sadly, all things must come to an end."

Malcolm's hand darted out as he threw two knives at Mick. The weapons spun end on end, preparing to embed themselves into his skull. At the last possible second, Mick raised his sword, deflecting the knives just enough to sail harmlessly by him. One bounced off of the wall to land at Mick's feet, while the other sailed into the hotel room.

Mick immediately jumped to his feet, holding Armagh in front of him at the ready position.

"You know, Malcolm, that's probably the first thing we can agree on."

#

Sarah came to a halt and bent down at the waist, leaning heavily on her knees as she struggled to regain her breath. "Beth, why are we running? It's just us, Mick, and that bastard for miles."

Beth glanced over her shoulder at the hotel in the distance. "I want to make sure to put enough distance between us and them before I make a call."

Sarah straightened to give Beth a dubious look. "A call? Our phones were left behind in the city, remember?"

Beth reached into her pocket and pulled out a small flip phone for Sarah to see. "Mick slipped it to me after I was freed. I just hope he remembered the signal sucks this far out."

She began dialing, but stopped when she heard footprints behind her. She whirled just as Catherine Xavier clamped a viselike grip on her throat, hoisting her into the air.

"Beth!" Sarah rushed to help, but received a vicious backhand from Catherine. Her head struck a large rock as she fell to the ground, stunned from the blow.

"You two are lucky Lance wanted you alive when I took you," she growled into Beth's face. "I should have known Malcolm would let St. John free you. But after I drain you, I'll make sure that those two will never be a problem again."

Catherine squeezed Beth's throat tighter with her hand. Beth's futile efforts to free herself slowly ceased as her grip on Catherine's wrist slowly slackened before her arms dropped to her side.

"Mick," she said weakly.

A sharp sound, like a crack of thunder in the distance, could barely be heard over the beating in Beth's ears as her oxygen supply to her lungs was depleted. A second later, the grip around her throat disappeared. Beth fell hard to the ground, her hands automatically reaching for her throat while she frantically worked to gulp huge lungfuls of air. She coughed for several seconds before finally looking up at her captor.

Catherine stood with her hands covered her midsection. She looked down at Beth blankly before removing one, displaying a gunshot wound the size of a man's fist. She fell to her knees, blood squirting through her fingers.

Beth saw headlights proceeding down the road towards them. She slowly climbed to her feet and staggered to the road where she stood close to the edge, frantically waving.

The vehicle, a dark colored SUV, skidded to a stop ten feet from Beth and idled as the driver side door opened. Beth's eyes widened as she watched Hayley Simms walked to the front of the vehicle, weapon drawn. "What - how?"

Hayley aimed her weapon at Catherine, who was still kneeling in the brush several feet away, but adjusted her stance to provide support for Beth. "Your boy toy called and told us what happened with you and Sarah Whitley. He asked us to come and back him up while he took out Rehnquist."

Beth glanced at Hayley. "Us?"

A door opened behind the women. Beth turned her head to watch Alexandra Sanders saunter over to them, cradling a high-powered rifle in her arms and a small bag slung over her shoulder. "Miss Turner. Enjoying your time in the desert? I heard terrible things about the wildlife."

Beth released Hayley, feeling well enough to stand on her own. "I can't wait to get home so I can leave a nasty review on Yelp."

Sanders did not laugh at the return banter, but Beth could see the hint of a smile beginning to form. It quickly disappeared as she saw Sarah slowly stir on the ground. Catherine still rested on her knees, her skin covered in a sheen of sweat in the powerful headlights of the SUV.

Sanders' expression hardened. She passed the rifle over to Hayley by the barrel and walked over to Sarah. "Are you hurt, Miss Whitley?"

Sarah accepted the hand Sanders extended to her and rose to her feet. "A touch of a headache, but I'm okay."

Sanders escorted Sarah to the road where Hayley waited with Beth. "You two may want to wait in the truck with Simms while I finish this."

Beth looked at Sanders very briefly until realization set in. She nodded and walked Sarah over to the car while Sanders reached into her jacket and pulled out latex gloves. As she pulled them on her hands, she glanced over at Hayley, who had returned from the truck. "Any reservations about what I'm preparing to do, Hayley?"

She shook her head. "Woman, I'm tired and it's been a long day. If he says this is how it has to happen, then this is how it has to happen."

"Okay." Sanders unzipped the bag still hanging from her shoulder. "Cover me."

The women stepped off the road into the brush towards Catherine, who had crawled a few feet to a large rock which she braced herself against. Sanders noted with surprise that the bleeding from her wound had stopped.

They paused several feet from Catherine. With a nod from Sanders, Hayley pointed her pistol at the woman while Sanders reached into her bag with her left hand. Catherine looked at them and sneered. "You think you are better than _me?!_ I will -"

Sanders dashed forward, pulling all of her weight into a left hook with an object from her bag that threw Catherine flat to the ground. Catherine sat there for a second before Sanders picked her up by the collar of her jacket and flung her back against the rock. Holding her by the throat with her injured right hand, Sanders held up the object that she used to hit the woman.

"You know what this is?" She held the cylindrical object close to Catherine's eyes. "Incendiary grenade. St. John insisted that we used something to light your ass up, and I was happy to find we had a case of these just lying around in the trunk of my car."

Hayley smirked and shook her head as Sanders continued. "And the infrared scope he suggested helped me pick you up from eight hundred yards out. Freaky, wouldn't you say, Hayley?"

Hayley snorted. "Should have adjusted the front sight, though. Weren't you aiming for her head?"

"I was in a hurry. Don't judge."

She pulled the pin and slid the grenade into the back of Catherine's jacket, slammed the woman's head against the rock before running for the road. "Fire in the hole!"

Both women were almost to the car before a loud explosion echoed throughout the desert, immediately followed by a fireball shooting up into the sky from where Catherine laid. Hayley and Sanders threw their hands up to protect their eyes from the searing heat. An inhuman scream from the flames made Hayley raise her weapon. For several seconds, she saw arms flailing wildly in the flames before finally falling still.

Sanders did not move at all. She did not even move when Beth exited the vehicle and walked up to her. Hayley finally slid her pistol into her jeans and took the bag from Sanders along with the gloves back to the SUV.

Sanders adjusted the brace on her right wrist, her eyes never moving from the fire. "Miss Turner … Beth, I don't miss on purpose. I could have taken that bitch's head off. St. John said it didn't matter what I did."

She turned and looked down at the shorter woman, the self-confidence, the sharpness and business-like exterior gone, replaced by anxiety.

"Please tell me. What the hell did I get myself into?"

#

Mick was already trained in small arms and hand-to-hand combat from his time in the Army, so adjusting to life defending himself as a vampire was relatively easy.

Pistols and rifles were replaced by edged weapons, small crossbows, and stakes. He still kept pistols, but only in the company of humans when exposing his vampire abilities was not ideal. Still, he considered himself very competent in combat and self defense.

Then he began hoisting Armagh.

Magnus McClane's broadsword felt ungainly in his hands. He was not sure whether to hold it with one or both hands. He settled for holding onto it with his right hand, a rough imitation of a sci-fi hero.

Malcolm, on the other hand, held his sword as if it was an extension of himself. He twirled it from one hand to another in a display of both showmanship and skill, finally stopping in a traditional _en garde_ position.

Mick thrusted McClane's sword at Malcolm's chest, which was easily deflected to the ground. Malcolm immediately countered with a quick jab into Mick's thigh, forcing him back. Mick barely got his weapon up in time to parry another thrust aimed at his leg, countering with a vicious right hook that sent Malcolm staggering back several feet.

Mick glanced down at his wound and saw that it was already healing at a satisfactory rate. Silently thanking Guillermo for his medical administration, he grasped his sword tightly and rushed shoulder first into Malcolm like a defensive end, knocking him over his car to the other side.

As Mick stalked around the car, he heard an explosion in the distance. Malcolm, coming to his feet, heard it as well and lowered his sword. "What was that?"

Mick smiled. "Unless I'm wrong, that was Alexandra Sanders exacting some sort of revenge on whomever you have out in the desert backing _you_ up."

Malcolm shook his head. "I came out here alone. Hopefully it was Lance, but he knows better."

He twirled his sword once in his hand, and raised it in an overhead chop, nearly taking off Mick's right arm. He dodged the blow from the sword, but received a reverse side kick in his sternum. The blow took his off of his feet, causing him to fall bodily backwards to the ground. Mick lost his grip on the sword when his body impacted on the surface. It slid a few feet away.

Malcolm did not waste any way time. He jumped high in the air, angling his sword straight down to the earth, or rather, Mick's right eye.

Mick saw Malcolm coming down and rolled to the right at the last second, grasping Armagh as he came up to his feet. Without thinking, he flipped the sword in his hand and thrusted backwards as Malcolm landed.

Mick felt the weapon hit home, and heard a sharp cry of pain from behind him. Careful to maintain control of the weapon, he slowly turned around and winced at the sight before him.

Malcolm was crouched on one knee, his sword embedded in the ground. Mick's weapon was through the side of his rib cage almost all the way through to the hilt and protruding out of the opposite side.

"Wow. I wouldn't be able to pull that off again if I tried," said Mick. He adjusted his grip on his sword as he reached for Malcolm's weapon.

Malcolm refused to release his sword, despite Mick's best efforts to disengage his grip. He turned his head to look up at Mick and laughed. "You're about to learn that I'm not that I'm not that easy to kill, St. John."

Malcolm turned his body with such speed that Mick's sword slipped from his grip. An instant later, he hit Mick with a back fist that launched him off of his feet, spinning out of control until he landed on the hood of his car nearly twenty feet away. His head shattered the windshield, leaving him covered with shards of broken glass

Malcolm grunted slightly as he pulled the sword from his torso. He admired it briefly, holding the blood covered blade in the palms of his hands. "Exquisite craftsmanship," he marveled. "Whoever this belonged to definitely knows his swords."

He sighed and placed the tip of the sword on the ground, holding it by the hilt and tilted to the side like a walking cane. He smiled at Mick before slamming the heel of his foot against the flat of the blade, breaking it in half as if it was a twig.

He nonchalantly tossed the hilt over his shoulder as he walked over to the Mercedes and grabbed Mick's wrist.

"I have no idea how many vampires I have killed during my lifetime," he murmured, positioning Mick to where his head hung off of the hood's edge before throwing several punches into his face.

"Let me assure you that I don't do it for fun or sport. I don't do it for pleasure." He held his sword less than an inch over Mick's throat, preparing to deliver the killing blow.

"I do it for justification."

Mick opened his swollen eyes in time to watch Malcolm raise his sword high above his head. Stunned, unable to move, he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to picture Beth one last time.

" _Mick?"_

 _He turned his head and saw Beth standing over to the side of the car. "You came," he said._

 _She smiled down at him. "You know I'm a very well-presented figment of your imagination. In which case you are rightfully imagining your final seconds with Beth. Side effect of those drugs Ellis and Malcolm pumped you with. From what I'm seeing, everything's looking pretty dire for you right now. It made sense for me - I mean_ her … _to come."_

 _The Beth incarnation pointed above Mick. He looked up and saw Malcolm, a satisfied smile on his face, standing over him with his sword coming down at him in an excruciatingly slow arc._

 _He looked back over at Beth. "How long does it take to die around here? I have an appointment in the morning."_

 _She laughed as she walked up to Mick and ran her fingers through his hair. "Mick St. John the comedian? I like it. But you know what else that I like about you? You don't know when to quit."_

 _Mick looked back up at Malcolm. The sword was slightly closer, but still lowering very slowly. "He's won," he said with a sense of finality in his voice. "He's so much stronger than me."_

 _The rendering of Beth's image adamantly shook her head. "If you believe that, then let Malcolm's sword separate your head from your body. Leave your Beth heartbroken that the love of her life died. He died … because he gave up."_

 _She leaned in close, her lips brushing against his ear. "That isn't Mick St. John. He doesn't quit. He doesn't give up."_

 _Beth straightened and gave Mick a determined look._

" _So … get up and_ fight."

Mick opened his swollen eyes in time to watch Malcolm raised his sword above his head. He focused all of his energy into a desperate roll to the side, falling to the ground in front of his car as Malcolm's blade bounced off of the hood. He immediately launched himself, using his body's momentum to put into a right hook against Malcolm's jaw. The blow caused him to drop his sword as he fought to remain on his feet. Mick followed through with a side kick that knocked Malcolm flat on his back.

Mick reached into his jacket and pulled out one of his decorative stakes as he walked over to where Malcolm laid on the ground. He knelt beside him and buried it into his chest. Malcolm's body instantly seized in shock from the staking.

Mick slowly rose to his feet as a vehicle pulled up behind him. He turned and watch Beth opened her door before the SUV came to a complete stop. She ran to him and jumped into his arms.

"I thought I'd never see you again," she whispered.

Mick looked down at her and smiled. "Yeah, I thought I was a goner, too. But my guardian angel helped me."

Beth gave him a puzzled look. Mick started to explained but instead kissed her on her forehead as Alexandra Sanders walked past them, stopping several feet away from a nearly immobile Malcolm Rehnquist.

She propped her fists on her hips as she stared down at him, but spoke to Mick. "Is this your life every day, St. John? Going around hunting the undead and staking the hell out of them?"

Mick's mouth fell open in surprise. He slowly looked down at Beth, who returned the glare with a small shrug.

"Yeah, there's something we need to talk about."

#


	16. Chapter 15

_Chapter Fourteen_

 _All Things Must Come To An End_

Magnus McClane ran a finger along the blade half of his broken sword in his hand. "I should skin that bastard alive with this," he said. "Armagh has been a part of my existence for centuries. For him to just … break it like this, it signals disrespect."

Mick leaned back in his chair with a mug of blood in his hand. "Malcolm knew it didn't belong to me. Probably gave myself away with how I was using it."

McClane snorted as he slid the blade onto the desk next to the other half and reached for his mug. "I honestly didn't give you much of a chance with it. Lucky for you that you were carrying around one of your fancy stakes."

Mick did not respond. He stared at the pieces of the weapon on his desk, shaking his head. McClane noted the gesture. "What, St. John? Spit it out. What's on your wee mind?"

Mick's eyes flickered up from the weapon. "I was thinking about what he said about what he did to me. The experiments he ran over the years. Something tells me he had a lot of things going on over in Paris."

"Aye." McClane pulled out a folded piece of paper and tossed it on the desk. "I spoke with that doctor BloodMeld came across. Paris is definitely a hot bed for Rehnquist's dealings. Basically everything the doctor used was shipped from there. I'm thinking of sending my man Christoff to check it out."

Mick unfolded the paper and scrutinized it carefully. His eyes darted back and forth from it to McClane and back again. McClane sighed and gave a come-on gesture. "What now?"

Mick folded the paper and set it on his desk. "Did you speak to my ex-wife, Coraline?"

"Why would I do that?"

Mick sighed. "She lives in Paris. She conducted experiments herself. With the Oxford twins dead, Malcolm captured, and Lance running for his life, who do you think that leaves in charge?"

McClane stared hard at Mick as he took a sip from his mug and continued. "I heard she left town this morning. Flight to JFK for an intercontinental trip to ... Paris. Didn't one of your people drop her off?"

McClane sighed and took a sip from his mug.

"Sod off, St. John."

#

Alexandra Sanders poured bourbon in two tumblers. She looked back at her guest seated on one of the couches in her office. "Ice?"

Beth shook her head. "No thanks."

Sanders walked the glasses over to the couch. "I appreciate you coming by," she said, handing one to Beth before sitting down across from her. She flexed the fingers of her right hand several times before grasping her glass. "Two days and I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything."

"Believe me, I totally understand. The whole thing - vampirism, it all sounds far fetch until you actually come across a vampire."

Sanders leaned forward. "And fall in love with one," she said, grinning mischievously.

Beth smiled. "Yes. Fall in love with one."

"Well, I think I qualify with the coming across a vampire part. I'm not going to ask how does falling in love with one works. That's between you and St. John. What I'm interested in is how did it all start?"

"Before I go into that, I need your word that everything stays between you and me and goes no further. Even though the oldest vampires wanted to talk with you and Hayley Simms, that doesn't give you carte blanche to tell the world. You two even knowing that vampires exist in Los Angeles is very dangerous. Do I have your word?"

Sanders took a sip of her drink. She savored the taste briefly before letting it run down her throat. "Does Allison know?"

Beth shook her head. "No, and I would like to keep it that way."

"Yeah, I don't know how she would take knowing the guy who tried to save her brother's life is a vampire old enough to be her great-grandfather, but looks like a model from Fashion Week." Sanders sat back in the couch, looking down at the glass she cradled in her hands.

"Alex? Do I have your word?"

Sanders looked over at the other woman and gave her a soft nod. Beth nodded back and glanced down at her forgotten drink. She took a sip.

"Well, it started when I was four. Mick's ex-wife kidnapped me."

Sanders whistled softly as she raised her glass. "Wow. How many times was he married?"

"Once. You've seen her before. She was the one."

Sanders spat out her drink.

#

Adrian opened the front door and admitted Mick into the Kostan mansion. "He woke up about three hours ago," he said. "Mr. Gasol helped get him into his freezer he keeps for guests upstairs, but he's been asking for you the entire time."

Mick followed Adrian upstairs and down the hall past Josef's spacious bedroom to a door close to the end of the hall. Adrian opened the door slightly. "Please keep your conversation brief. Mr. Gasol said he still needs to be fed intravenously in order to speed up the healing process, but he is with him so he should be awake."

Adrian turned and retreated back to the staircase as Mick made his way into the room, a gray-toned space with several paintings on the wall, but no furniture saved one folding chair propped against the wall and a small table. A closed freezer rested in the center of the black tiled room.

Guillermo was throwing used IV bags in a red waste bag as he entered. "Hey, buddy. What's the word?"

"Checking up on your patient." Mick indicated the freezer behind him. "Is he awake?"

"Yep." Guillermo dropped the bag on the floor and walked over to the chair. "I have to go to the morgue and check in, and see if they saved me some more stock. But I'm hoping one, maybe two more days of IV time, and we can switch to regular feeding. Maybe."

He tossed Mick the chair, and bent down to retrieve the waste bag. "I'll be back a little later. Don't have him yapping in here all day."

Guillermo exited the room as Mick unfolded the chair and sat down on it backwards. He tapped on the freezer door with his foot. "Hey! You're not standing in front of the pearly gates anymore! Come out and say hello."

Several seconds passed before the seal on the freezer broke as the door raised open. He peered down inside and whistled. "Beth told me what I looked like when I was brought back from the desert. You look ten times better."

Josef smiled. The two dozen stab wounds scattered all over his upper body were little more than pink blotches on his pale white skin. Slight bruising was still visible on his face, especially around his right eye socket where the majority of damage took place. A small piece of gauze was taped over the wound, holding the eyelid shut.

"Ten times better? Are you being nice or sarcastic? That son of a bitch snatched my eye out like a gigantic dog-stealing bird."

"Okay, okay. Some more work is needed." Mick grew serious. "How're you feeling?"

Josef groaned as he sat up, waving away Mick's hand as he offered to assist. Two IV lines ran from bags hanging beside him in the freezer into his arm. "I'm not leaking anymore, thank God. I swear I felt like I lost weight." Josef lightly touched the gauze covering his right eye and winced.

"Hey, Kostan, don't mess with it."

"The fact that I feel _anything_ there is a miracle. I seriously need to put Guillermo on retainer." He draped his arms around the top edge of the freezer and looked up at his friend with a smile. "So, you finally got that bastard."

"Yeah. After I leave here, I'm heading over to the Cleaners. That's where they're keeping him."

Josef nodded. "I wish I could see the look on his face before they light his ass on fire. That will be a sight to see there." He chuckled softly and pointed up to his face. "Half see anyway."

Mick noted the weariness in Josef's voice. "I'll let you get some rest," he said, rising to his feet. "Sounds like you need it."

Josef was already sliding back down into the freezer. "I promise you, tomorrow I'll be walking around on my own two feet instead of Guillermo carrying me around like a baby."

The door automatically lowered over him, sealing him inside.

Mick turned for the door. Just before he exited the room, he glanced back over his shoulder at the freezer for a long minute.

"I can't wait, old friend."

#

The red haired Cleaner, dressed in a black, short-sleeved blouse and slacks with high-heeled shoes matching the color of her dark tresses, smiled as Mick walked into her office. "Thank you for coming," she said, walking over to give Mick a peck on his cheek. "How are you feeling? No despotic mood swings or urge to feed at live concerts or malls?"

"Funny."

She laughed as she gestured for him to sit in one of the leather chairs in front of her large oak desk. "I have to be funny. Takes the edge off around here. Though when Beth and Alexandra Sanders were here yesterday being questioned by McClane and Daggett, that was almost like an old time black and white film. Even McClane looked like he wanted to slice his own throat after all the questions Sanders was grilling him with." The Cleaner propped her hands on her hips and tapped her foot on the wooden floor.

"What's wrong?"

The Cleaner sighed and gestured to a set of double doors to the side of the room. "I have three of the oldest and most powerful vampires in the world, here, in my compound. Three vampires who can snap any one of our necks without so much as a thought. And Madame Wen, she keeps looking at me funny. Like she wants to offer me up for a sex trade or something."

"It's not like that." Mick smiled. "She, McClane, and Marcus Daggett have a lot to talk about. Everything Malcolm has done is on the table. They have a lot of work ahead of them."

"Yeah, I know." The Cleaner sat down on the edge of the desk and crossed her arms. "I'm worried that they won't have … _enough._ Lance kidnapped Beth and Miss Whitley, he was the one who released the list, and tried to kill you. His ass belongs in that cage just as much as Malcolm Rehnquist, as far as I'm concerned. More so, even. But aside from him holding you for weeks, there isn't much else."

"No one agrees with you as much as I do." Mick shrugged. "It will take some work to bring him down."

The Cleaner rose to her feet and walked behind her desk and pulled a pistol and cell phone from a drawer. "Yeah, well right now, your presence has been requested. Rehnquist wants to talk to you."

"Why does he want to talk to me?"

The Cleaner shrugged. "I don't know. Human prisons offer a last meal before executions. We grant visitor requests."

She and Mick walked out of the office and down a long hall cluttered with various pieces of equipment. Several associates stood watch at every set of double doors they went through, until the last set where four women dressed in coveralls guarded the entrance armed with military-grade flamethrower backpacks.

Mick whistled. "You're not kidding around."

"Between you and me, it took us nearly a month to track him down." The Cleaner gestured for the door to be opened. An abundance of light from inside shone through. "We have no intention of repeating that until we receive word from the big wigs."

Mick nodded and slipped on his sunglasses before entering the room. He thought the room was flooded with fluorescent lighting, which would have no effect on a vampire and essentially a waste of time.

The source of the lighting was a natural source, as he was able to determine once his eyes adjusted. A large skylight was cut into the high ceiling, illuminating the enclosed steel reinforced cage and its occupant below it easily. Malcolm Rehnquist sat restrained from head to toe in titanium chains, obviously affected by the sun shining directly down on him. His shirt was almost completely soaked through, and a small puddle of sweat was just forming underneath the small chair he was chained to.

Mick stepped close to the cage, just staying out of range of the sun. "You said you wanted to see me."

Malcolm slowly raised his head. His eyes were milky in the irises as they blinked up at Mick. "I knew you would come," he said. The resonate tone of his voice was strong despite his present condition. "Somehow, I knew you would come."

Mick glanced around the spacious chamber. "Look, I'm really busy, so why don't you tell me what you want so I can get back to my day, okay?"

Rehnquist nodded. "Of course. Planning my demise is very busy work."

"I don't have any say in that."

"But you do." Rehnquist leaned forward in his chair, squinting hard at Mick. "I'm sure that everything you and I went through over the past few weeks has not gone unnoticed by the powers that be. Obviously they're very interested in my work."

He sat back and tilted his head up until he was staring directly into the sunlight unflinchingly. "I don't know how, considering I really did nothing wrong."

Mick remained silent as Malcolm continued. "Everyone thought I had this masterfully concocted plan to distract all of Los Angeles with the mysterious awakening of Sarah Whitney. In a sense, I did use her to force Kostan to give you up. To keep him preoccupied and out of my way. But do you want to know the real reason why I did what I did?"

Malcolm looked over to the side of the cage wistfully. "For years, I heard rumors of "The Sleeping Beauty of New York." A woman Kostan, as Charles Fitzgerald, attempted to turn into one of us, and ultimately failed."

"I wanted to kidnap her and really put Kostan into a spin. I had one of my associates enter his brownstone under the guise of an electrician. He was able to send me pictures of the interior, and also several of the sleeping beauty herself. St. John, she is the splitting image of the one love of my life from an era long ago. My beautiful Cerise."

Mick took a tentative step forward, finding himself interested in Malcolm's tale. "Was she a vampire as well?"

Malcolm shook his head. "As you well know, Louis XVI was a part of my noble line."

Mick nodded.

"Cerise, she was a handmaiden; a part of Louis and dear Marie's court. I pursued her for a time but my business affairs took me out of Paris constantly. And plus Louis didn't feel comfortable with both of us there at the same time.

"I wanted to bring Cerise with me, but Marie didn't like for her to be far from her side. You can pretty much deduce the rest of the story from history."

Mick gave him a slow nod. "She was caught up in the Reign of Terror."

Malcolm sat back in his chair. The chains restraining him rattled as they settled in their new positions. "Yes. Before my dear cousin and his beloved wife were executed, dozens of the Royal Family's staff faced the guillotine. Cerise, she … was one of the casualties."

Mick pursed his lips and looked down at his feet. "I'm sorry," he said. "She must have meant a lot to you."

Malcolm considered Mick very closely for a minute. "When I saw Miss Whitley's picture, I admit my goals changed briefly. I wanted to wake her … in the hopes of bringing my Cerise back to me. But when I did, I could instantly tell that the time she lost, her continued fascination with Kostan, and my thirst for making you suffer, everything brought me back to reality."

Malcolm locked eyes with Mick. "I sit here realizing that the journey I took has led me to failure, and that my life will soon come to an end. All things must come to an end. I'm at peace with that. I really am."

Malcolm lowered his eyes to the floor at his feet. Mick took that as a sign that the conversation was over. He started to turn to leave, but Malcolm spoke up once again. "She is very beautiful. Your Beth Turner. I didn't want to believe half the stories Coraline told me about you two during her time here, but after seeing her, I can certainly see for myself why you are so smitten with her."

Malcolm smiled as he once again stared up unblinkingly into the sunlight. "A love like that has the ability to transcend the test of time. If you choose it."

#

A who's who of vampires and humans slowly entered an abandoned warehouse close to midnight. Mick and Beth exited his newly repaired Mercedes and watched them go inside.

Beth looked over the car at Mick. "Is this necessary? All _this_? Why can't they just be done with him so that we can move on with our lives?"

Mick walked around the car to Beth. "A message has to be sent out. The vampires who live here in the city don't have anything to worry about partly because Josef has worked for years to help our kind maintain a sense of normalcy while blending in with humans. But there are those who are jealous of how we live."

He took Beth's hand and led her to the warehouse. "This message will get to those vampires and tell them that this is our city, and acts of violence against us will not be tolerated. Now, we just just have to able to send it."

They entered the decrepit structure and looked around. Several scaffolding lamps illuminated the center where a raised, wooden platform rested. Storage containers were scattered all around the perimeter Everyone stayed away from that portion, preferring to circle it while covered in somewhat of a shade of darkness. Beth saw Alexandra Sanders and Hayley Simms standing over against a far wall talking with Harper Ryan. Several feet away, Guillermo and Logan spoke with Xavier King, who Mick met briefly earlier in the day following Rehnquist's incarceration. A woman Beth recognized from a picture in Detroit as Elizabeth, King's wife, stood beside him, smiling and laughing as if conversing with vampires was a normal occurrence. Adrian and Ryder, Josef's closest associates, had all three heads of the Cleaner services in conversation on the other side. Behind them, several beautiful women dressed in black leather stood in stony silence.

Beth looked over at a very familiar petite, short haired blonde walking by. "Hi, Mick," she said, waving as she strolled past them. Mick smiled and returned the way, belatedly feeling the burning eyes of the blonde standing beside him.

"That was, uh, Lisa," he said. "She's a student. At Hurst."

Beth smirked. "Oh really?"

Mick shrugged. "She's into jocks this summer."

"Whatever." Beth glanced outside. "Where are McClane and the others? Where is Rehnquist?"

"They'll be coming from the Cleaners' compound together, so it shouldn't be long." He glanced sharply over his shoulder at the entrance as he spoke. Beth noticed out of the corner of her eye that several of the vampires also turned their attention outside, obviously picking up something with their vampire hearing.

A dark SUV led a black panel van through the gate, pulling up just outside of the building's raised door. The Kings and the junior Cleaners walked out as the vehicles shut off and McClane, Daggett, and Madame Wen exited the SUV. Daggett gave Elizabeth a peck on the cheek and clapped Xavier on his back as the other vampires minus the Cleaners filed past him.

McClane spied Mick and Beth over to the side and walked over to them. The expression behind his black goatee was grim and full of doubt. "We're gonna need you in a minute, lad."

Beth glanced from McClane to Mick and back. "Magnus, this had to be a slam dunk. What's the problem?"

The answer to Beth's question was a second SUV entering the lot, coming to a halt beside the first one. A tall man exited the vehicle and moved to open the back door for his passengers.

Beth gasped as Simone Walker stepped out, followed by Sarah Whitley. Simone spotted Beth and Mick and offered a small wave. Sarah glanced around nervously while being escorted inside by Daggett. She did not even look over at Mick or Beth.

Mick sighed as he gave Beth's hand a gentle squeeze.

"The problem is that Malcolm was right. He's won."

#

"Our vampire nation here in this city is one of the largest in the country. One I am proud to be a part of, and one I have always protected to the best of my ability." Madame Wen looked over the small gathering standing before her. "Tonight, we are gathered here to determine if Malcolm Rehnquist is guilty of crimes against one of our own."

She glanced over her shoulder at the platform behind her. Rehnquist stood chained to it by his wrists and ankles. He stared back impassively, unblinking.

"The evidence produced clearly indicate that the actions taken by Rehnquist were acts of vengeance against Mick St. John and him alone. Acts of violence taken against other vampires like Josef Kostan were committed by the vampire known as Lance."

"Wait a minute." Alex Sanders stepped past Mick, shaking herself loose from Hayley Simms' grasp. "What about when he pretended to be a FBI agent? Assaulted me? Broke into my building in an attempt to kidnap the doctor?"

Madame Wen gave her a stern look. "Acts against humans are frowned upon, yes, but no one was killed, Miss Sanders. St. John himself is alive and here with us today. Know your place in these proceedings."

Sanders did not back down. "Oh, if you think I'm goIng to follow some stay in your lane advice right now, then you don't know me very well. Do you think I'm just going to let everything he did slide because I'm human? Everything he has done would have him locked up for years!"

"Which would be both impossible and dangerous for humans involved," countered Wen. "The evidence we have does not support incarceration."

Sanders gave her an incredulous look. "Then what options are you considering? Because if you're looking at cutting him loose, that doesn't sit well with me at all."

The two women glared at each other for a long moment. Sanders did not flinch as Wen took three slow steps forward until they were mere inches from each other.

Finally she offered Sanders a thin smile. "I like you, Alexandra. I admit, your argument is sound, but one of your kind has made a strong case for the accused."

She gestured to Sarah, who stood over to the side between Simone and Elizabeth King. "Come forth, my dear."

Sarah stepped forward, coming to a halt two feet away. "Miss Whitley, tell Miss Sanders what you told me."

Sarah nervously looked up at Sanders. "Josef Kostan attempted to turn me into a vampire, but … something happened. I fell into a deep sleep. Like suspended animation of a sort."

"Malcolm came to the house where I was being kept under a nurse's care. He had a doctor administer to me. Somehow, I reverted back to a human state and was able to wake up. If it wasn't for him, God knows how long I would have slept.

Sanders glared at her. "That's very nice. You were able to wake up. What, you were in a coma for a week or two?"

At that, Mick cleared his throat. "Try sixty years."

Sanders' eyes widened. She looked at Sarah closely before slowly taking a step back, shaking her head in disbelief. "You're joking," she whispered. "That's … impossible."

"It's true, Alex." Beth stepped forward. "Josef attempted to turn her … in 1955. Sarah is over eighty years old."

Sanders glanced at Beth who gave her a soft nod. A look of regret shadowed Mick's face as he stared back at her.

Wen placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Our world is not very different from humans, Miss Sanders, but our mysteries are deep and complex."

She conveyed an equally comforting look to Sarah before returning to her original post in front of Rehnquist's platform. "Miss Whitley's testimony was very compelling. Combined with briefings from St. John, Miss Sanders, and associates of Josef Kostan, it has been deemed that -"

"Wait." Sanders held up a hand. "I have one more thing to say. A question, actually. For him."

Wen sighed but nodded consent for her to continue. "It seems that everything that happened to me doesn't matter to anyone here," said Sanders, stepping past Wen to the platform where Malcolm stood. "That's fine. I'll just get back to my life and my company and forget this ever happened."

She looked up at Rehnquist, who stared back at her with a puzzled look on his face. "But there is one question that I want to ask. Answer it for me and I'll consider the matter settled. I'll go back to my boring vampireless life."

Malcolm cocked his head slightly to one side. "Obviously I'm not going anywhere, my dear. What is your question?"

Sanders shoved her hands in her jacket pockets and steeled herself. "Benjamin Talbot," she said softly. "Who killed him? Was it this Lance character?"

Malcolm smiled. "The district attorney. He was the one who was given the list, correct?" He looked up at Mick, who nodded in confirmation.

"I was trying to find out what Coraline and Lance were doing here," he said, speaking to Sanders. "I found out about the list of vampires circulating at some of the highest levels of access. Truly a threat to the society built in Los Angeles."

Malcolm paused for a second before continuing, this time speaking to all present. "Benjamin Talbot represented a major threat to that society. It took me a minute to realize that. I originally was going to allow it to go forward, but that would have been wrong of me, especially when I only wanted to sink my claws into one, _only one_ vampire."

Malcolm locked eyes with Mick as he exclaimed, "In the end, I realized the threat! I realized the threat, and _I eliminated the threat!_ Anyone of you would have done the same thing! Some of you have done something similar to protect your secrets and your secrets alone. I protected an entire nation, and you have me chained here like an animal? Hypocrites!"

His eyes darted back down to Sanders, who stared back up at him. "So, the answer to your question, Alexandra, is yes. It was me. I killed Benjamin Talbot. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Sanders did not immediately respond to Rehnquist's confession. She took one step closer to the platform while bunching her hands tighter in the pockets of her jacket. "Thank you," she said. "I just wanted to make sure."

She snatched her hands from her pockets and stuffed something into the front of Malcolm's jacket before hurrying away at a run. Malcolm's darted from her down to the object, eyes bulging wide at its sight. Mick started to run onto the platform until he saw another object in Sanders' hand.

Without thinking, he grabbed Beth's arm and began pulling her away, yelling to the others, " _RUUNNN!"_

He and Beth ducked behind a large metal container, as the vampires and humans quickly dispersed, leaving Malcolm still chained and alone on the platform. He locked eyes with Mick for a split second.

And smiled.

The fiery explosion that issued from the platform forced Mick to shield his eyes with his free hand, his other arm draped protectively around Beth. She glanced up at him, gasping for breath. "What - what happened?!"

Mick looked over to the side where several others were gathered behind a large storage container, Sarah and Simone among them. Magnus McClane held a smiling Alexandra Sanders by her arm. She stood in silence, spinning what appeared to be a grenade pin around her finger.

Mick pulled Beth close. "Justice."

#


	17. Chapter 16

_Chapter Fifteen_

 _One and the Same_

Beth did a mental count and pulled down five wine glasses from her kitchen cabinet. She closed the door and turned to place one in front of Simone, Harper, Hayley, and herself standing at her kitchen counter, leaving one unattended. Harper had an opened bottle of Merlot in hand and poured a small amount in each glass.

The four women wordlessly picked up a glass and took a sip. Beth started to say something but noted the mixture of worry, confusion, and anxiety on each of the women's faces. She offered a smile as she reached for the lone glass still on the counter and walked outside to her balcony.

Sarah sat alone in the rocking chair with a small blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She had her arms crossed as she sadly looked up at the star-filled sky, oblivious to Beth's approach.

Beth thought about walking back inside, but decided the woman needed someone to talk to. "I thought you might need a little pick-me-up," she said, offering the wine glass.

Sarah turned her head and smiled as she accepted the wine. "Thank you, Beth. I appreciate it. And also the invite to your house. I certainly didn't feel like being by myself tonight."

She looked down at her glass for a few seconds without drinking from it as she asked, "Why are you being so nice to me? Why is everyone being nice to me? Malcolm Rehnquist was almost released, and it would have been my fault."

Beth shrugged. "Sarah, even if you hadn't said anything, Madame Wen was leaning towards cutting him loose. Mick said so himself. But Alexandra Sanders obviously had other plans."

She leaned against the balcony ledge, staring out at the night for a minute. Finally, she asked, "Have you even stayed a night at the vineyard since you bought the place?"

"Not one." Sarah drained her glass in one sip. "I was kind of kidnapped the night I closed on it. Since then, I've split time between Simone's place and the hotel."

"Do you want another glass of wine? Or something else?" Beth indicated her empty glass.

"I could certainly use a nice, dry glass of - oh!" Sarah stopped talking as a small glass of an amber brown liquid appeared directly in front of her face.

"I thought you could probably use something stronger," said Simone, shaking the tumbler.

Beth gave her a puzzled look. "Is that whiskey? I thought I was out. Where did that come from?"

Hayley Simms stepped out on the balcony, followed by Harper. Each woman carried a similar glass with the same colored beverage. "I carry a bottle … for emergencies," said Hayley, hoisting the evidence. "Finish up, Turner."

Beth downed her wine and held out her empty glass as Hayley poured some whiskey. "So, I was talking with the ladies inside about this crazy night. Crazy night, huh? Heh heh."

Simone snorted. "Yeah, thanks to your boss. Who keeps military-grade incendiary grenades just lying around?"

Beth and Hayley answered simultaneously, "Alexandra Sanders." They looked at each other and chuckled softly. Even Sarah briefly smiled.

Hayley took a sip from her glass and pointed to Simone and Harper, but looker at Beth. "So we were talking inside and wanted to ask you a question since you seem to be the resident expert on vampires."

"I only suggested it because it's your place," added Simone.

Harper frowned as she peered at the contents in her glass. "I've been around them for three years. Does that count?"

Simone and Hayley looked at each other and shrugged. Beth sighed. "Technically, we all know about the same amount of stuff. Even Sarah."

Hayley glanced down at the woman who continued to sit in her chair in silence. "Okay. Well, what do you think is going to happen to my boss? She did just kill a vampire."

"I honestly don't know." Beth set her glass aside on the ledge. "That's why Mick stayed with her to make sure she was okay. I can say that I never heard of vampires metting out justice against a single human for a crime committed. It's always been … to protect themselves."

"Like with the Monaghans," said Simone. "All is takes is one to destroy in a second what it took a very long time to build here. That's why vampires like Mick and Josef Kostan are so protective."

"I remember hearing about that dustup with Emma Monaghan." Harper held her empty glass out for Hayley to refill. "Magnus came across the reports online. I think his exact words were, 'Damn L.A. vamps torched another one.'"

All heads turned as they heard a door open inside the apartment. "Excuse me," said Beth, stepping between Hayley and Harper to head off of the balcony.

Mick stood in the living room with his left hand wrapped around his chest. Beth started to speak but noticed he was alone. Her heart immediately began to drop. "Wait. What … happened to -"

The footsteps drawing closer to her apartment entrance cut her off, and Alexandra Sanders appeared seconds later. She stopped at the doorway and gave Beth a huge smile.

"Thought I was a goner?"

#

Hayley nearly choked on her whiskey. Harper reached over to pat gently on her back until she was finally able to regain control of her facilities. "Let me get this straight. They wanted to kill you?"

Alexandra Sanders nodded as she relaxed on the couch with an untouched glass of whiskey sitting in front of her on the coffee table. "These women they called "cleaners" grabbed me and threw me in that van, and they took me to what I guess was a private airport. When they took the bag off of my head, I was surrounded by Wen, Daggett, and Magnus McClane."

The door opened and Beth entered the apartment. "Mick is taking Sarah and Simone back to the hotel," she said as she hung her jacket up. "What did I miss?"

"Alex is telling us about her near execution," said Harper. "Was a sword involved?"

Sanders shook her head. "That … one with the long hair? McClane? Do you know he carries around a bunch of swords hanging in a closet on his plane?"

"I know he carries _a_ sword around," said Beth, who stopped behind Harper and Hayley's seats. "He's a full-blooded five hundred-year-old Irishman. Totally expected."

Sanders rubbed her knees with her hands. "Well, they had me all hemmed up on the plane growling and I thought they were going to drop me over the Pacific, or the Grand Canyon. Marcus Daggett was indifferent about the whole situation and was trying to calm Wen and McClane down, but it was two against one. I was basically dead."

Hayley leaned forward, clearly intrigued. "So, what happened? How did you get out of it?"

"Mick." Sanders finally reached for her drink, but did not raise it to take a sip. "Beth, you should have seen him. He got on the plane and in their faces, giving them this speech about how just because Malcolm Rehnquist's hands were nearly clean for a lot of the stuff that happened, it shouldn't have excused him for the terrible things that he was still responsible for."

"Really? Did it work?"

"Uh, no. They stood and listen to him rant for ten minutes, and then that Madame Wen chick threw him off the plane. I mean _literally._ "

Beth nodded. "So that's why he was holding his chest. He didn't want to tell me what happened."

Sanders tipped her glass at Beth in acknowledgement. "But Mick made her think back to when I was ranting and raving before I pulled the pin on that grenade. So she and I got to talking, and then McClane joined in. Finally we all came to a consensus."

Beth moved over to sit beside her on the couch. "Consensus?"

Sanders sighed. "McClane has a team that goes around and … _handles_ things when it comes to misbehaving vampires. They were the ones who went banzai on my video cameras at Sanders Securities several nights ago. Anyway, McClane wants to go after Lance and put a grenade in his jacket. He wants me to join his team."

"Wait a minute." Hayley raised a hand to cut her off. "You are the founder and president of one of the most prestigious, advanced corporate, cyber, and private security firms in the country. You're expanding into Japan next summer. How can you run the company and play vampire hunter at the same time?"

Sanders finally raised her glass and took a long sip. "I don't know," she said. "I may have to put everything on hold until we find the bastard. We're not a privately owned company, but I'm basically it unless I appoint an interim president."

At that, she eyed Hayley for a long moment until Hayley finally caught on and slowly shook her head. "Oh _no._ I am not bigwig corporate material, Alex! You know that!"

"Well, what do you expect me to do? If I left it to Niles, he might try to pull some sort of Brexit crap with the company, but I trust only two people with my life work, and you're the second one."

Hayley looked down at his hands for several seconds before slamming one on the coffee table. "I'll do it."

Beth and Harper looked at both women in puzzlement. "Uh, you're taking the presidency?" asked Harper.

Hayley snorted with laughter. "Please. I'd much rather be tossed out of that plane over the Pacific. Or the Grand Canyon. Whichever is more painful."

She looked over at Sanders. "I'll bite the bullet. Let them know you'll donate computer resources, hardware, software, weapons, whatever they need to really get their team going, and I'll take your place to make up for losing you."

Sanders stared hard at her friend until she abruptly turned to the side. Beth thought she saw her eyes just briefly welled up with tears, but remained silent until Sanders regained her composure.

"Hayley, I can't ask you to do that."

Hayley smiled. "You didn't. I volunteered." The smile transformed into a frown as she muttered, "And they say never volunteer in the military. I'll never learn."

It was Harper's turn to shake her head. "The Archivist is very particular about who he allows to join this group," she said. "It took him a while before he finally decided to let me back in as the team's researcher."

"Hayley is a catch," said Sanders. "She's Naval intelligence, weapons trained, all that. She's almost like a clone of me."

"Wait a minute." Beth pointed at Harper. "You're going back to work for McClane? What about _BuzzWire?"_

"Oh. Yeah." Harper smiled sweetly. "Can you pay me for the full two weeks?"

#

Adrian walked into Josef's dressing room and was pleasantly surprised to find his employer standing in front of a mirror dressing himself. "Good morning, sir! I wasn't expecting you to be up and about on your own this morning."

"Well, Guillermo had me on a double drip all day yesterday. Except for my eye, I'm almost back to my usual jovial self."

Josef turned away from the mirror as he buttoned up the burgundy silk shirt he had shrugged on. Indeed, the only blemish to his handsome visage was his damaged right eye, which was now covered with a patch looped around his head.

Adrian went to a closet and pulled out a jacket for Josef. "In that case, sir, you have a visitor. Miss Sarah Whitley. If you are able, should I have her wait by the pool with some breakfast?"

Josef walked over to a vanity drawer and pulled it open. An assortment of cufflinks, rings, watches, and sunglasses laid spread out over a velvet mat. He browsed over the display until finally selecting a set of shades and slid them onto his face.

"Most certainly."

#

Sarah was eating a strawberry at the table underneath the veranda as Josef walked outside. She smiled when she saw him and reached for a napkin to dab at the corners of her mouth. "It's wonderful to see you up and about. When Simone and Mick told me what had happened, I feared the worst."

Josef bent down to offer her a kiss on her cheek. "I admit, it was traumatic for me as well," he said as he took a seat beside her. Adrian, who had followed Josef outside with a carafe and glass balanced on a tray, set both items in front of his employer before sharing a look with the guest.

"Will you be needing anything else, Miss Whitley?"

Sarah gave him an semi-serious look. "Only to stop calling me Miss Whitley, Adrian. I'm eighty-two, but does it look like I belong in a nursing home?"

Adrian's visage remained neutral, but Josef thought he saw a corner of his mouth twitch so slightly. "Of course not, my dear."

Josef reached for the carafe and glass and poured some chilled plasma. "That's all for now, Adrian. Just make sure the car's ready in … twenty minutes, okay?"

Adrian nodded and stepped back inside as Josef took a sip from his glass. "Mick told me what happened to you as well. Your kidnapping and … your testimony to the Big Three, as I like to call them."

Sarah gave a soft nod. "I'm surprised Mick and Beth didn't persecute me for what I did. And after seeing what Alexandra Sanders did, I do not want to be left in the same room with her."

"Yeah, she definitely got the nation on high alert, from what I heard." Josef took another sip from his glass and turned to her. "But that's neither here nor there. What matters is that you're okay."

Sarah slowly slid her plate away from her and returned his look in silence. Finally, she said, "I'm leaving, Josef."

The smile faded from his face. "Leaving? Why?"

She leaned forward and grasped his hand. "Believe me when I say this has nothing to do with you. I truly mean that."

Josef tensed inside, sensing the proverbial "but."

"When I first met you, it was just … you. Sure, I found out you were a vampire, but you were still you. Your world in 1955 was not that much different from mine."

She sighed and released his hand. "Then I fall into that coma and awake to find you again sixty years later, and now it's not only you but a whole slew of vampires. And it seems like a lot of them are bent on harming or destroying each other."

Sarah rose from the table and paced by the outdoor bar. "Look at what happened to us. Prime example. You nearly died by the hands of a vampire. A vampire kidnapped me and Beth. Malcolm Rehnquist held Mick St. John captive for weeks, and assaulted Alexandra Sanders."

Josef shrugged. "For some of us, that's a Thursday."

Sarah gave him a stern look and started to admonish him, but he held up a hand to stop her as he stood. "Sarah, everything that happened was the result of two misguided vampires, one of which is dead. The other, according to Magnus McClane, will be hunted down to the ends of the earth. He will never lay a finger on you or anyone here ever again. You have my word."

He walked over to where she stood. Grasping her hands, he held them together on his chest as he stared into her eyes. "I'll never let anyone hurt you."

Sarah gave him a sad smile. "Josef, I appreciate your protectiveness, but you can't watch out for me forever."

He grinned back. "You forgot what I am?"

She chuckled as she reached up to caress his face. He leaned into her touch, savoring the smoothness of her hands, but he detected the sadness behind the gesture. He reached up and gently pulled her hand down. "You're serious."

A tear trailed down from her left eye. She wiped it away. "I was actually thinking about it for a while, with sixty years of the world to catch up on and all. Everything that happened pretty much made my mind up."

"What about your company? The winery? You're just getting your feet wet here. You can't leave."

Sarah shook her head. "Simone has proven to be a wonderful asset during my acclimation as head of my father's company and acquisition of the winery. We did beat you, in fact."

Josef frowned. "Low blow."

"Well, after I moved her onto the winery grounds, I made Simone a very lucrative offer to come over as my chief operating officer and head of the west coast offices, while I take care of a few things in New York before I begin my journey." said Sarah. She stepped away from Josef and back to the table where she picked up her purse from beside her small breakfast plate.

She turned back to face Josef with a forced smile. "After a week or two home, I'm going to take a cruise across the ocean. I want to view the sea like those who sailed across on the _Titanic_ did."

Josef held up a finger. "Uh, that turned out to be a bad trip for them." His tone grew serious as he added, "Is Paris on your list of places to go?"

Sarah nodded. "Of course."

"Hold off for a while going there. At least until you hear from me. Paris has the highest vampire contingent in the world. Malcolm lived there for centuries, since before the Reign of Terror. Lance is more than likely holed up somewhere there if he went back."

Sarah nodded. She smiled briefly at Josef before moving to the door. He watched as her hand hovered over the door handle before she turned around. "Josef -"

The next thing she knew, she was in his arms, his lips pressed to hers for a long minute before pulling away but stood locked in an embrace, sorrowfully looking into each other's face.

#

Mick walked into his apartment with a small bag over his shoulder and two grocery bags in hand. He headed over to the kitchen, placing the groceries on the counter and slid several glasses out of the way on the shelf to access his secret cooler compartment. Unzipping the cloth bag, he pulled out three trays of vials containing blood and stacked them neatly next to several IV bags, pulling one out before resealing the compartment.

As he placed the glasses back in their original positions, he detected a familiar scent of decay lingering in the area he was standing. Glancing back towards the door, he noticed the passageway leading to his office was open. Shaking his head, he pulled two small tumblers from the shelf and placed on the counter. Seconds later, with both glasses filled with blood in hand, he walked into his office and up the stairs to the balcony.

Josef was leaning against the parapet, looking out at the setting sun. His sunglasses were on the ledge beside him as well as an empty glass. Mick moved beside him and held a glass out to him.

"Can't say I don't ever think about you."

Josef looked over at his friend and accepted the glass. "You like?" He indicated the costume patch covering his right eye.

Mick examined the covering. "So Blackbeard of you. Did you drive over here? Please say no."

Josef chuckled as he sipped from his glass, but did not answer. Mick leaned against the ledge and looked over the cityscape.

"I'm sorry about Sarah."

Even with the patch, Josef pulled off a close imitation of looking out the side of his eye at his friend. "She told you."

"She told Beth when she stopped by _BuzzWire_ this morning to say goodbye." Mick turned to face his friend. "I'm shocked that you didn't offer to go with her."

"What makes you think I didn't?" Josef straightened as he made an awful face before setting his glass aside. "She was almost to her car before I suggested it."

"And?"

"She politely declined."

Mick nodded silently as he finished his glass. The men continue to look out over Los Angeles in silence for another minute before Josef asked, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"You and Beth. Do you think that it will work with you two? I mean, _honestly_ work?"

Mick carefully considered the question and his answer. Finally, he shrugged. "I don't know, Josef. I honestly don't know. But you know one thing that I always have?"

Josef gave Mick an expectant look.

"Faith. I have faith that humans see us in a light different from the typical movie cliché. I have faith that Beth sees me as the man she fell in love with, and not as a monster."

He clapped a hand on Josef's shoulder. "Sarah told Beth the reason why she's leaving, and the vampire part notwithstanding, I agree with her on the fact that everything for her has changed since 1955. Her family is gone, most of her friends are dead by now. She comes back to find every aspect of her world changed."

He turned Josef to look into his uninjure eye. "Even you. To her, you were Charles Fitzgerald, New York playboy. Now, you're Josef Kostan, Los Angeles … playboy, hedge fund trader, and a vampire with a propensity for the tar pits."

Josef smiled. "I need to show her that I'm still the same person from back then. That in spite of everything, Charles and Josef are still one and the same."

"Well, sort of the same. Josef needs to stay away from the tar pits, but there you go." Mick reached for the empty glasses. "I have groceries downstairs, and I'm expecting Beth over soon for dinner, so I have a lot of work to do."

"Oh, no. I understand." Josef slid his sunglasses on his face and followed Mick downstairs and back into the apartment. Mick placed the glasses in the sink and prepared to rinse them while Josef reached for his jacket lying on the couch.

Before he reached the door, he turned back to Mick with his good eye. "Mick?"

Mick looked up from his work. "Yeah?"

Josef smiled. "Thanks. You are indeed a good friend."

He opened the door and almost ran into Beth who was preparing to knock. He smiled at the woman. "Hi, Beth."

"Josef, hi!" The smile she wore faded to a look of sadness, and she reached for his arm. "I spoke with Sarah earlier today and she told me she was leaving. I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about me, sweetheart." He gave her hand a reassuring pat. "Mick gave me some helpful advice. I'll be fine."

She smiled up at him again before moving over to where Mick stood by the kitchen island. Josef began to close the door but stopped as he watched Mick pull her into an embrace. Embarrassment almost made him him quickly close the door, but he stood there for several seconds and watch them hold each other.

"I hope you two make it work, old friend," he said soft enough for just Mick's vampire hearing to register. "I'll go do the same."

Mick looked up at Josef and gave him a small nod, which Josef returned with a wink from his good eye before closing the door. His phone was in his hand and to his ear before he made it to the elevator.

"Adrian, make sure Ryder is with you when I return. We have a lot of work to do."

#

Hayley Simms stood silently as Magnus McClane slowly circled her. His right hand was clenched in his left as he paused and slowly turned his head to look down at the woman.

"When Madame Wen came up with this … absurd idea to spare Alexandra Sanders' life, it was done on the condition that she would dedicate herself to BloodMeld so that we can go find Lance for the crimes that he committed against the vampire nation here in Los Angeles."

He bent down until his nose was mere inches from Simms' face. "There was no agreement to bring in … the B team."

The brow on Simms' forehead wrinkled as she fought to control her emotions. Her eyes locked with McClane's as they stood staring at each other.

Behind him, Harper Ryan cleared her throat as she flipped pages in an opened manila folder. "Uh, sir? Hayley Simms is as real as they come. Her military career is impressive. Tops of her class at the Naval Academy. Numerous commendations and awards. Intelligence specialist. Weapons qualified. Speaks six different languages. She is one of only seven women in our entire military who has trained with the SEALs, Marine Force Recon, _and_ Green Berets."

She stopped and slowly whistled at a notation she read in the folder. "And she once held the Naval Midshipmen record for the longest field goal in school history."

McClane's eyes wavered just slightly at the mention of Simms' football exploits, but enough for her to catch it. She gave him a sly smile.

"I heard you were a Lions fan. You know, I thought they would lose a step when Johnson retired, but Stafford keeps making miracles happen on the field with that offense and his arm. If they can find a decent running back, it will help spread the field for him. I would look at the draft. The backs that are out now, the only dependable ones are the ones who are over the age of thirty. Peterson, Gore, they're doing their thing. If they can get a back in the first round, and he gives them close to a thousand yards rushing, they may get an extra three, four wins."

Ryan whistled again. McClane took a step back and rubbed his chin, still looking at Simms, but with a measure of respect. "You know football, lass."

"When you're growing up with five brothers on a farm in North Carolina, a Barbie doll house was not in my future plans."

McClane nodded. "What's your team?"

"Redskins."

McClane snorted. "Redskins? Ha! Every year, they find a reason to screw up something. This mess with Cousins and the contract? Something tells me they're gonna be in the wind holding their wee bits when he leaves."

Hayley nodded, glancing surreptitiously at Harper who gave her a quick thumbs up sign. "You might be right."

McClane composed himself and regarded Simms once more, but with no hostility or anger directed towards her. Finally he smiled and held out his hand.

"Come with me, lassie. It's time you met the rest of BloodMeld."

#


	18. Epilogue

_Epilogue_

"And I waited outside for maybe two hours hoping I could catch a glimpse of the Queen or one of the princes, but I was out of luck." Sarah tilted her phone screen slightly to rid it of the reflection from the outside street lamps as she walked down the street. "Did you know she's only a few years older than me?"

Sarah watched Simone Walker rubbed her eyes and refocused on the screen. "No, Sarah. Really? And you may not want to say that out loud, or people will start to think you're crazy."

"Ha ha. I sense the sarcasm even half a world away." Sarah smiled. "There's always tomorrow."

"That there is." Simone's image flickers slightly. She stifled a yawn as she adjusted on the pillows in her bed. "You are getting the hang of FaceTime pretty quick. Too quick, in fact. Do you know what time it is here?"

Sarah came to a halt outside of a local pub. "I'm sorry, but there's so much to talk about! I just arrived at this pub down the street from my hotel. Last night, they were showing episodes of this amazing television show with kings and queens and dragons, everyone is fighting for this throne, and 'winter is coming" is a very popular line."

Simone covered her mouth to disguise another yawn. "Sarah, you have been in London for almost a month and the one thing you are excited about is a television show that you can easily see in your hotel room or here in the States. Aren't you ready to go someplace else?"

Sarah sighed. "Sort of. But I'm scared that if I leave, I might miss something."

"Sarah, give it up. They're not letting you into the palace to meet the Queen."

"Oh please. They don't know me well at all." Sarah exhaled loudly. "Fine. Can you contact Kyle and have him book me a flight and hotel accommodations to Rome for the day after tomorrow? I think I'm going to make some time in Italy. And I also sent you an email. Did you read it?"

"Last thing I worked on before I left. I'll shoot you a confirmation when I get in." Simone pouted. "If I didn't have this very profitable development company to oversee, I would be there with you."

"Make some time. Your boss commands it, and I would certainly love to see you." Sarah leaned in close and grinned. "But your new guy might not like that. How are things going with the chef?"

Simone smiled, displaying a look of a pleasing thought. "Things are going great, and no, he wouldn't. But since you encroached the subject of a love life, have you met anyone there? You certainly had enough time."

"Simone, I … I didn't come here for that. I came here to see the world, experience new things, new cultures." Sarah glanced through the window of the pub. "I want to do those things first before even thinking about meeting anyone."

"I know, I know." Simone looked over at something off-camera for a second. "Time for me to get a shower and off to work. You get some rest, okay? I'll have the travel team email you your itinerary by the time you wake up."

Sarah smiled and waved at the screen before disconnecting the call. She slid her phone into her jacket as she opened the door to the pub. A wave of loud music, conversation, and cigarette smoke assaulted her all at once.

She smiled.

A minute later, after pushing her way through the crowd standing about, she seated herself at the end of the long bar where she could see American football on the TV hanging close by on the wall.

A coaster dropped neatly in front of her. She looked up at the bartender, a tall, blonde-haired male wearing a Miami Dolphins jersey. He smiled at her. "Miss Whitley, I didn't think you would be back so soon."

Sarah smiled back. "I'm a woman of my word, Aaron. I honestly didn't think I would come across an American bar here in London. I was happy to find this place."

The bartender popped open a beer and set it front of her. "Many tourists, they always talk about wanting to see a different side of the world, but the majority of them misses home just a little bit the entire time. That's why they come here."

"Well, judging from what I've seen of this place, you don't miss Florida much." Sarah glanced around the bar. "This is the exact opposite of Florida, actually."

Aaron popped open two beer bottles and handed them to a waitress who appeared at the end of the bar. "Well, I miss the beaches, the Dolphins during football season, and my girlfriend most of all."

"I'm glad you brought her up." She took a sip of her beer and set it back on the coaster. "That bet you lost last night?"

Aaron laughed "A bet is a bet, Miss Whitley. You have no tab tonight."

"First of all, it's Sarah, and second, like I can't afford to pay for my drinks. You lost to me at pool, but it was closer than I'm used to. You had me on the ropes."

She reached for his hand. "So call your girlfriend and tell her to make sure her passport is up to date, because she is going to be flying first class to London very soon."

The bartender stopped what he was doing to look back up at her. "Are you serious?"

Sarah nodded. "It will be an open-ended ticket, so you two can get your schedules together and she can come when everything is ready."

Aaron was overcome with joy. He quickly came around the bar and scooped Sarah up in a bear hug. She laughed in his arms until he gently set her back down. "I don't know what to say."

Sarah poked him in the arm. "Say you restocked the Jagër."

Aaron nodded, circling back around behind the bar and reached for two shot glasses. After pouring the alcohol, he set the glasses on the bar and slid one close to her. "You know it. And your drinks are definitely on the house. Your money's no good here tonight. Just do me a favor and don't buy the bar a round like last night, please?"

She picked up her glass and connected with his. They both downed the contents and replaced the glasses on the bar.

"Well, I better hit the pool table and see whose money is good," said Sarah, scooping up her beer and sliding off of her stool. "Bring by another shot in about thirty minutes?"

She stepped away from the bar and into the expansive billiards room off to the side of the bar area. A dozen tables were spread throughout the hall, most of them occupied. Several serious games were being played, with spectators milling about.

Sarah casually surveyed the area until she spied an open table close to the front bay window. She walked over and sat her beer down on a side table before reaching for a pool stick from the wall rack and turned around.

There he was, standing at the opposite end of the table in a black leather jacket and dark blue jeans, wearing glasses that were slightly tinted, smiling at her as his right hand palmed the cue ball.

Sarah's mouth gaped open at the sight before her for an eternity. She finally moved her feet, slowly walking around the table, stopping mere inches from him.

He continued to look down at her, smiling as he finally spoke. "This place is ten times better than that biker bar you were shutting down every night in L.A. And here, I don't have to worry about assless chaps."

Sarah found the words to speak. "Josef, what are you doing here?"

Josef sat the cue ball on the table and rolled it into a pocket. "I was out and about, and decided to drop in and see what was going on with the Clock Tower. Doesn't make sense shutting it down for four years."

"Josef." Sarah stopped herself before she reached for his arm. "What are you doing _here_? How did you even know I was in London?"

Josef pulled two pool balls from the nearest pocket and rolled them to the other end. "Oh, a few phone calls with the FAA works wonders sometimes. Though it would have been easier if you had simply bought a ticket. You are a hard woman to track down."

Sarah stared into his eyes. None of the wounds he had suffered weeks ago were visible. She almost reached up to caress his face.

The motion stopped before it even started. She backed away a step, clasping her hands in front of her. "It was good seeing you again, Josef."

She turned away and began pulling balls from the pockets and rolling them to the far end, gathering them with the rack. Josef sighed and leaned over the table at her.

"Look, Sarah, I don't want to push you into any kind of decision when it comes to you and me. I came here hoping to talk to you, see where you are leaning, et cetera et cetera. If I lived around the corner, I would wave good night, and be on my merry way."

He walked around the opposite side and pulled a ball from the side pocket, banking it against the rail to roll neatly into Sarah's waiting hand. "But before I leave, I need to know. I deserve to know if … we have a chance."

Sarah looked up from her work racking the balls. "I … I don't know, Josef. I honestly don't know. But ambushing me will not help you get an answer any time soon, so you may as well go."

She refocused her attention on her task, mildly aware that Josef walked away from the table for a few seconds, but was still close by. The balls finally positioned for a eight-ball game, she reached for her stick. "Josef, I'm serious."

"Well, I'm serious as well, Sarah." Josef had a pool stick in his hand. "And to show you how serious, I'm willing to play you in a game for five minutes of your time."

He chalked up his stick, never taking his eyes off of her. "You beat me in that speakeasy in New York that one day, remember? The only human who has ever beaten me. I always wanted a rematch. One game. You win, and I'll get on my plane and fly home and will leave you alone. I win, I get my five minutes."

Sarah considered his words. Her eyes lowered to the table as she leaned on her pool cue, shaking her head. "When I finish mopping the floor with you, you go home. Agreed?"

Josef stepped to the side of the table and gestured for Sarah to take his place.

"Your break."

#

Standing across the street, Mick winced as he took in the game Josef and Sarah started. Josef sat in a chair to the side rubbing his temple, clearly agitated. Sarah sipped on beer and Jagër, completely amused by his discomfort.

Mick shook his head and turned to head down the street to the corner where stairs leading down below the surface to a tube. He almost began his descent but looked back at the pub. He hesitated, debating whether to stay to wait for his friend or leave as Josef had instructed. Deciding on the latter, he continued on his way.

Fifteen minutes, he entered a brightly lit park. Several dozen men and women filed about in various stages of conversation around a large splash fountain. Streams of water shot up in small, narrow streams, splashing down on the concrete surface to create small puddles.

Mick began scanning the area as soon as he entered the park and almost immediately spotted her reading from a tablet on a bench on the other side of the fountain.

She must have felt the scrutiny she was receiving as she looked up from the item in her lap and saw him. Either a thought occurred or the sight before her was pleasing, for she smiled and rose to her bare feet. Her shoes swung from her finger by their straps.

Before Mick could move, she began walking across to him, careful to avoid the larger water streams but still walked along the edge of the fountain. He grinned as she made her approach. "Hello, Miss Turner."

Beth laughed as she hooked her arm into his. "You are up to no good. What are you grinning for?"

Mick paused just outside of the park. "Oh, I was thinking about a night that seemed like it was yesterday. The night when we first met."

"You mean the night we first met … again," corrected Beth. "That is a running joke that we can only have with a few people. Still, I'm happy that it's still a pleasing sight for you."

She sat down on a nearby bench and strapped on her shoes. "I hope Josef and Sarah are talking. Flying halfway across the world following a girl is almost stalkerish. They arrest people for that."

"They're not talking." Mick checked his watch. "They're playing pool."

"Pool? Can Sarah play?"

Mick pulled Beth to her feet. "Judging from the five ball run she went on after her break, I would have to say yeah. In any case, Josef said not to wait for him, and that the plane was ours to go anywhere in the world we want to go."

Beth looked up at him expectantly. "You're don't mean … "

Mick stopped and turned to face her. "Remember when we were talking about taking a vacation? Getting out and take some time for ourselves?"

"Yes, I do." Beth nodded. "I believe it went along the lines of finding a place where we can take midnight swims -"

"Or someplace like that where we have plenty of excuses to stay indoors," finished Mick. "And I have just the place. Or rather, Josef has the place. A villa he owns in Hawaii with a secluded, private beach. What do you say?"

Beth hooked her finger and gestured for Milk to come closer. He bent down into a passionate kiss, which he reciprocated in kind, oblivious to passersby entering and exiting the park.

When their lips parted, Beth cupped Mick's face in her hands. "It doesn't matter where we go, as long as we're together," she whispered.

Mick nodded and leaned in close until their foreheads touched.

"Together."

 _The End_

 _After more than five years, this finally brings my "Moonlight" trilogy to a close. I appreciate the great reviews I received for "Containment," "Purge," and "Darkest of Days," and I hope that I gave this television series the respect it deserves._

 _Please favorite me as your favorite author, as I will be working on several other stories, including one based on BloodMeld, the Archivist's anti-vampire unit of my own creation. I'm looking forward to putting my ideas down into story form for your enjoyment, so be sure to favorite me so you will be notified of my future releases._

 _Mike aka Goodfella73_

 _171224_


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